An illegal immigrant from Mexico, who disappeared in 2022 in Vermont after trying to claim asylum, has been arrested on a federal charge for unlawfully attempting to buy a firearm from a Central Vermont gun store last month.

Reginald Adam Velasquez, 33, who lists home addresses in Bradford and Barre, appeared briefly in federal court in Burlington on Monday.  He pleaded not guilty to the felony indictment returned by the federal grand jury last Thursday.

Federal Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle continued the hearing until Tuesday afternoon when he will hear arguments on whether Velasquez, who also uses the false name Adam Lopez, is a flight risk and needs to be detained.

U.S. Homeland Security Investigations began an investigation after learning Velasquez attempted to buy a Glock .40-caliber pistol from a federally licensed gun dealer in Barre on Nov. 14, court records show.  He listed his Bradford address on the form and not the more recent Barre residence, records show.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ophardt said in court papers that Velasquez, who unlawfully entered the county in May 2022, lied on the gun purchase form at the store that he was legally in the United States.

Massachusetts State Police arrested Velasquez on a federal warrant on I-91 just south of the Vermont-Massachusetts line on Sunday night.

Velasquez has had several interactions with Vermont law enforcement in recent months, but they have been unable to do much.  A state policy blocks Vermont police from inquiring about the immigration status of possible illegal immigrants.

In one case, Vermont State Police arrested Velasquez on a charge of driving while under the influence of marijuana while on Interstate 89 in Windsor County.  Velasquez reportedly was smoking marijuana just before or as the trooper stopped him, records show.

The arresting trooper was handcuffed when it came to checking whether Valasquez was legally in Vermont.

Velasquez faces up to 10 years in prison, if convicted on the federal gun charge, according to Ophardt, chief of the criminal division.

Ophardt said in his detention motion that a preliminary calculation under the federal sentencing guidelines puts the possible penalty in the 10-to-16-month range if convicted after a trial.  Deportation would follow.

Ophardt said Velasquez swam across the Rio Grande River near Hidalgo, Texas to illegally enter the United States on May 21, 2022 and was soon caught.  Velasquez applied for asylum and claimed fear of persecution or torture if he returned to Mexico, records show.

He was granted parole into the United States pending the outcome, but he showed up only once for an immigration hearing in St. Albans on Aug. 9, 2022, records show.

Velasquez repeatedly failed to meet his ongoing obligations to meet with immigration officials, Ophardt wrote.

 When the Department of Homeland Security called the phone number he had provided authorities, a relative claimed Velasquez had moved and had not provided any new number.

Ophardt said Valasquez has had “numerous interactions with law enforcement officers.”  He said in one case from last month Valasquez showed deception when he “deliberately misidentified himself “ as Lopez.

A car belonging to his ex-girlfriend was located on the side of I-91 in Guilford and another woman, not the owner, was found with the vehicle, which had run out of fuel, Ophardt said.

When police called the owner, she said Valasquez, who was not with the car, had permission to drive it, records show.  The owner said the second woman had no authorization to drive the car, the records show.

The police ended up speaking with a taxi driver, who had been summoned to help with the lack of gasoline, and he said the woman had confided that she was involved in transporting drugs, but had none at that time, Ophardt said.

Ophardt noted that I-91 is a well-known corridor for trafficking of drugs.

It was earlier in June when Vermont State Police arrested Valasquez for the DUI-drugs case, records show.

Vermont State Trooper Jacob Clark said he spotted a traffic violation by a southbound driver on I-89 near Bethel about 12:50 a.m. on June 19.

While speaking with the driver, later identified as Velasquez, troopers observed indicators of impairment, Clark said.  Velasquez was screened for DUI before being taken into custody and transported to the Royalton Barracks for processing, records show.

Velasquez was released after being issued a citation ordering him to appear in Vermont Superior Court in Windsor County on Aug. 12.

During his federal court hearing on Monday, Valasquez had to pause for about 10 seconds and confer with his lawyer before he could answer Doyle’s question about his age.

Assistant Federal Defender Emily Kenyon asked for 60 days to investigate the case and to consider filing pre-trial motions. Doyle set a Feb. 20 deadline.

Ophardt said there was considerable evidence against Valasquez, including video of the attempted gun purchase, law enforcement reports, his alien file, Department of Homeland Security documents, and his own statement following his arrest.

Ophardt said two cell phones also were seized during the arrest Sunday night and he expects search warrants will be requested by investigators to check the contents.