DOYLESTOWN, PA — Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran said the guilty plea entered Tuesday by Elias Ortega, an illegal immigrant convicted in two 2016 assaults, illustrates what he called a critical failure in law enforcement’s ability to identify offenders in the country illegally — one that the county’s new immigration partnership aims to fix.
Ortega, 41, pleaded guilty to felony corruption of a minor, misdemeanor indecent assault, and misdemeanor simple assault charges in Bucks County Court, nearly a decade after the crimes were committed. He faces sentencing on January 30, 2026, and will be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation after serving his sentence.
Sheriff Harran said Ortega’s case demonstrates why Bucks County’s newly implemented 287(g) program — a federal partnership with ICE that allows trained deputies to identify individuals already arrested who are in the country illegally — is essential for public safety.
“Today’s guilty plea by Elias Ortega is not just the end of a disturbing case; it’s about a 14-year-old girl who became a victim because of a disastrous gap in our system,” Harran said. “In 2016, this individual was in custody for domestic assault, but with no program in place to verify his immigration status, he was released on bail. Just two months later, he committed the horrific sexual assault he pleaded guilty to today.”
Harran said Ortega fled to New York City, where he lived under the radar for years before being discovered in May 2025 during a traffic stop in Brooklyn. New York police discovered the outstanding Bucks County warrants, and Ortega was extradited back to Pennsylvania.
The sheriff emphasized that had the 287(g) program been available at the time of Ortega’s initial arrest, he could have been identified as being in the country unlawfully and held for federal authorities. “Today’s case proves the importance of the court’s recent ruling affirming our authority to implement this vital public safety program,” Harran said. “It ensures we finally have a tool to prevent this situation from ever playing out again.”
Under the 287(g) partnership, specially trained deputies in the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office can access a federal immigration database during the booking process to determine the legal status of individuals arrested on criminal charges. The program, which is funded entirely by the federal government, does not involve street-level immigration enforcement or impact how deputies interact with victims or witnesses.
Ortega was originally arrested in October 2016 for a domestic assault in Bucks County and released on bail. Two months later, he was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and fled before a warrant could be served.
According to prosecutors, Ortega was arraigned on May 28, 2025, by Judge Gallagher and held on $2 million bail at the Bucks County Correctional Facility before entering his guilty plea this week.
“[This] case proves the importance of the court’s ruling on October 15, which affirmed our authority to implement this vital public safety program,” Harran said. “It ensures we finally have a tool to prevent this situation from ever playing out again.”
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