ICE Identifies Two Suspects Arrested On Nantucket As Alleged Sex Crime Offenders

One of the people arrested by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last week on Nantucket was identified Monday by the agency as a 28-year-old Salvadoran national who had recently been charged with sex crimes against a child on the island.

The Boston field office for ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division said Bryan Daniel Aldana-Arevalo - who it described as unlawfully present in the United States - was taken into custody on Tuesday, Sept.10th, on Nantucket.

Earlier this summer, Aldana had been arrested by the Nantucket Police Department and charged with assault and battery on a child under 14 (two counts) and one charge of aggravated rape of a child with a 10-year age difference. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on July 26 and was held in custody on $20,000 bail set by Nantucket District Court Judge James Sullivan. He was released three days later, on July 29, after bail was posted.

ICE stated Monday that Aldana had unlawfully entered the United States on an unknown date and location "without having been inspected, admitted or paroled by a U.S. immigration official." During his arrest last week, Aldana was served with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge and remains in custody.

“Bryan Daniel Aldana-Arevalo stands accused of some detestable and disturbing crimes against a Nantucket child,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons. “He represents a significant danger to the children of our Massachusetts communities. ERO Boston will not tolerate such a threat to the most vulnerable of our population. We will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by arresting and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”

Nantucket Current reported on Aldana's original arrest and arraignment in Nantucket District court back on July 26.

According to a statement submitted to Nantucket District Court in July, the Nantucket Police Department was contacted by the New York City Police Department on July 11 after the 12-year-old victim and her mother had gone to the NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn to report the sexual assault. A social worker then contacted NYPD detectives. The incident allegedly occurred while the woman and her daughter were visiting family on Nantucket.

Nantucket Police participated remotely in an interview with the victim conducted by Safe Horizon, a child advocacy center in Brooklyn, in which she described the alleged sexual assault by Aldana, who is a relative.

During Aldana's arraignment, the Cape & Islands District Attorney’s office asked Nantucket District Court Judge James Sullivan to set bail at $20,000 cash. The DA argued that based on the nature of the charges, particularly the aggravated rape charge and the fact it carries a 10-year mandatory minimum jail sentence in state prison without the possibility of parole, seeking bail at $20,000 was appropriate to ensure the defendant’s appearance.

Aldana's attorney, Rob Moriarty, argued that bail should be set at $2,500, which is the most he said Aldana could afford. He said that while he understands the magnitude and severity of the charges, there was no need to implement bail at the level sought by prosecutors, given that Aldana has lived on the island for three years and never left the island while the charges were being investigated over the past two weeks. He added that based on the statement of facts, the charges being brought against Aldana were done so solely on the word of the young victim with no corroboration from other witnesses. He argued Aldana was not a risk to flee the island and that he had no prior criminal record.

“The purpose of bail is not to punish the defendant but to ensure his appearance in court,” Moriarty concluded.

Sullivan said due to the severity of the charges, he felt $20,000 cash bail was appropriate but added that Aldana's bail could be revisited at his next court date.

Second ICE Arrest Made On Tuesday

A second individual who was arrested by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last week on Nantucket was identified Tuesday morning as Gean Do Amaral Belafronte who according to ICE, was arrested by Nantucket Police and charged with indecent assault & battery on a person 14 years or older.

The incident took place on April 13, 2021, and an arraignment for Belafronte was originally scheduled for June 9, 2021 after he was arrested. But Belafronte, a 31 year old Brazilian noncitizen, never appeared for the session and a warrant was issued for his arrest by former Nantucket District Court Judge Thomas S. Barrett.

According to ICE, Belafronte lawfully entered the United States on Oct 8, 2018 but after violating the terms of his lawful admission in the aftermath of this sexual assault, voluntarily departed the United States on April 18, 2021 - five days after it allegedly took place.

But according to ICE, Belafronte at some point returned and unlawfully reentered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location, without being inspected, admitted or paroled by a U.S. immigration official. Then on Tuesday, March 12, Belafronte was picked up via an warrant arrest. At 3 p.m. that afternoon, he was arraigned on the indecent assault & battery charge almost three years later from when it took place.

Nantucket District Court released Belafronte on $500 cash bail or a $5,000 surety bond.

According to the police report, Belafronte walked towards the alleged victim, grabbed her with two hands, brought her to the ground, pinned her hands down over her head while his body was on top of her and stated "I will rape you" as he licked her lips with his tongue while she kept her mouth closed.

“Gean Do Amaral Belafronte unlawfully entered the United States, made his way to Nantucket, and allegedly sexually assaulted one of our residents,” ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons said in a release. “We have been consistent in our promise to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing egregious noncitizen offenders. This is not a hollow expression; it is a sincere promise to the residents of our New England communities.”