Reported / Citable
Background
Hilario Benitez-Mondragon was charged in the Western District of Texas with a felony offense. On June 16, 2026, the defendant appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell for a felony plea proceeding and Rule 11, Fed. R. Crim. P., allocution. The defendant waived his right to appear before the district court and proceeded with the plea hearing before the magistrate judge.
Following the magistrate judge’s proceedings, the Report and Recommendation was filed recommending acceptance of the guilty plea.
The Court’s Holding
District Judge Robert Pitman accepted the defendant’s guilty plea to Count 1 of the Information. The Court adopted the Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation and found no opposition from the defendant to the recommendation.
Key Takeaways
- Defendant’s guilty plea to Count 1 was entered with full Rule 11 compliance and allocution.
- The defendant waived his right to be arraigned before the district court judge, proceeding instead before the magistrate judge.
- The district court accepted the plea without objection from defendant or government.
Why It Matters
This order represents the formal acceptance of a guilty plea in a federal criminal prosecution, concluding the pleading phase of the case. The reliance on magistrate judge procedures with subsequent district court approval reflects standard federal criminal practice for efficient case disposition.