Brother of illegal Venezuelan immigrant who ‘murdered nursing student Laken Riley on UGA campus’ is charged with green card fraud – his FOURTH arrest since arriving in Georgia
- The brother of Laken Riley’s murder suspect has been charged with possessing a fake green card
- Diego Ibarra, 29, faces federal charges in connection with the fraudulent ID
- His brother Jose, 26, is charged with the nursing student’s murder
EThe brother of Laken Riley’s suspected killer was arrested and charged with possession of a counterfeit green card – his fourth arrest since arriving in Georgia.
The The Justice Department announced late Friday that Diego Ibarra, 29, of Venezuela, faces federal charges of possessing a counterfeit green card.
Diego Ibarra is the older brother of Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, who is accused of killing 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student Laken Riley.
The elder Ibarra was stopped by Athens-Clarke County police because he matched the description of the suspected killer.
The 29-year-old is now in state custody, jail records show.
The Justice Department announced late Friday that Diego Ibarra, 29, of Venezuela, faces federal charges of possessing a counterfeit green card
Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, has been identified and charged with the murder of nursing student Laken Riley, 22, at the University of Georgia in Athens
Riley, 22, was found dead Thursday afternoon after her roommate reported her missing and said she had not returned from her jog
“Ibarra is a citizen of Venezuela and was prosecuted for expedited removal, but alleged a credible fear of return to Venezuela,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Georgia wrote in a statement.
“He was therefore released from immigration custody pending the ruling on his asylum application on April 30, 2024.”
Ibarra’s younger sibling was arrested Friday for the murder of Laken Riley in Athens — a sanctuary city — and is now being held in the Clarke County Jail and appeared before a judge Saturday morning when he was denied bond.
NewsNation reporter Ali Bradley said 26-year-old Ibarra is originally from Venezuela and crossed over to El Paso, Texas, in September 2022.
He was released into the United States by Customs and Border Patrol because the worsening migrant crisis means they do not have sufficient facilities to hold all the border crossers they intercept. Police do not believe Ibarra knew his victim.
Riley, 22, was found dead Thursday afternoon after her roommate reported her missing and said she had not returned from her jog.
Ibarra has been charged with malice murder, murder, aggravated assault, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, obstructing a 911 call and concealing the death of another.
Younger brother Ibarra, who is accused of killing the August University student, appeared in court Saturday morning.
UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark told reporters at a news conference tonight that officers searched Ibarra’s apartment in Athens and evidence shows he acted alone.
Officials confirmed that Ibarra is not a U.S. citizen and did not know or have any relationship with Riley
‘He didn’t know her at all. I think this is a crime of opportunity where he saw an individual and bad things happened,” Clark said.
‘The evidence is robust. It is supported by important community input, physical evidence and expert police work. Importantly, we were assisted by video footage from our campus security camera network.”
He said there was no apparent history of violence for the suspect and his criminal history is not extensive.