Chandler man gets 30-month sentence for smuggling migrants

PHOENIX – A Chandler man was sentenced to more than two years in prison for conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants for profit, authorities said.

Michael Andrew Nelson, 30, was convicted of the charges following a trial in August 2022. He also was sentenced to three years of supervised release after his prison sentence.

Border Patrol agents in November 2021 observed Jeep Patriot driving suspiciously at a national park area near Naco in Cochise County, according to a press release.

Five undocumented people were removed from the backseat and cargo areas of the vehicle.

Nelson was the front-seat passenger. Co-defendant Michelle Wilson was the driver.

The five undocumented people said they’d paid substantial sums of money to smugglers in Mexico in exchange for transportation to various cities within the United States.

Wilson, who pleaded guilty in December 2021, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 10.

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