MACON, Ga. — Diego Ibarra was indicted on Tuesday in Macon, and is charged with one count of Possession of Counterfeit Immigration Documentation. If convicted, Ibarra faces up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Diego Ibarra is the brother of Jose Ibarra, the man who is accused of attacking and killing 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student Laken Riley while she was out on a jog near the Oconee Park Forest on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens.
UGA Police confirmed that Riley was killed by blunt force trauma in what they describe as a "crime of opportunity." They say Jose and Riley did not know each other before her death.
It happened over three weeks ago, and Jose Ibarra was arrested one day after the attack at his apartment.
Shortly after his arrest, Jose Ibarra was discovered without proper documentation to be in the country. Originally from Venezuela, authorities said he illegally crossed the border into the United States in 2022.
Jose Ibarra is currently charged with murder and detained at the Athens-Clarke County Jail. He is being held without bond.
Back on March 7, Diego Ibarra was stopped by authorities for matching the description of Riley's suspected killer who, ultimately, was suspected to be his brother, according to Athens-Clarke police.
Related: Brother of man charged with murdering woman at UGA arrested, accused of possessing fake green card
When stopped by officers, Diego Ibarra presented a green card which was later determined to be fraudulent, according to authorities.
As investigations continued, Diego Ibarra was suspected to be a part of a Venezuelan gang, named "Tren de Aragua," or TdA. Federal prosecutors point to three reasons why they believe Ibarra may be a member of TdA: his tattoos, photos of him presenting gang signs and his tendency to wear Chicago Bulls regalia.
The revelation of Jose Ibarra's status as a non-U.S. citizen has prompted blowback from Republican lawmakers.
The U.S. House passed a resolution centering on Riley's death on March 7. It was introduced by Georgia Rep. Mike Collins, whose district includes Athens. The resolution passed 251-170, with 11 members not voting.
The Republican-sponsored resolution received support from 37 Democrats. However, all five Georgia Democrats in the House voted against it.
The Laken Riley Act now heads to a Democratic-controlled Senate where its future is uncertain.
Her name was also spoken at the State of the Union address, where President Biden said "Laken Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal," he said. "But how many...thousands of people are being killed by illegals. To her parents, I say my heart goes out to you, having lost children myself. I understand."
Riley's parents were invited to attend the address by Rep. Mike Collins, but they chose not to attend.