An Emporia woman initially accused of human smuggling, identity theft and other counts as part of a larger criminal case involving charges of illegal dentistry and drug activity has now accepted plea agreements in both cases against her.
Iris Sandoval-Flores, age 42, pleaded no contest to one count of dealing in false identification documents Friday. Single counts of human smuggling and identity theft were dismissed.
Sandoval-Flores also pleaded no contest to one count of theft, with prosecutors dismissing the unlawful dentistry count as part of a separate but related hearing.
Sentencing in both cases will be Nov. 14 in Lyon County District Court.
Sandoval-Flores is one of eight defendants in a case that went public this past May. Her plea follows the end of a case against Martin Pichardo-Machado, who pleaded no contest to marijuana possession last month and was sentenced to time served.
Other defendants have their cases set to advance later.
*Hugo Cardona-Argueta is charged with identity theft, interference with law enforcement, marijuana possession and paraphernalia possession. He has a pretrial hearing now on the docket for Sept. 24.
*Francisco Pichardo-Machado is charged with making false information, marijuana possession and paraphernalia possession. He is facing potential trial dates starting Oct. 6, Oct. 27 or Nov. 17.
*Martha Lopez-Alvarado is currently charged with identity theft, interference with law enforcement, marijuana possession and paraphernalia possession. She has a pretrial hearing Oct. 3
Court proceedings have not progressed against three defendants after all allegedly failed to appear in Lyon County District Court earlier this year. Rigoberto Sandoval-Sandoval and Ana Raquel Figueroa are charged with unlicensed practice of dentistry or dental hygiene and unlawful obtaining a prescription-only drug. Edwar Benavidez-Sanchez, listed on the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal as Jerlin Jeovanny Cerna-Arguello, is charged with identity theft, identity fraud, making false information and dealing in false ID documents. Prosecutors are seeking a default judgment against Sandoval-Sandoval and Figueroa, while they are seeking to return the cash bond to the poster in the case against Cerna-Arguello.
The initial overall case has accused the defendants of producing, supplying and using false documents like drivers licenses and Social Security cards, as well as illegally harboring a person illegally possibly for exploitation purposes and having an unlicensed dental operation inside the Sandoval-Flores home between January 2024 and this past spring.
