Asheville man pleads guilty to indecent liberties, triggers Laken Riley Act

Oscar Yubani Solis‑Berduo, 24, pleaded guilty Feb. 11 in Buncombe County Superior Court to felony indecent liberties with a minor and received a prison term reported as 16 to 29 months. The judge ordered that Solis‑Berduo be held pursuant to the federal Laken Riley Act and transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for deportation proceedings after state incarceration. He must register as a sex offender for 30 years and is subject to a permanent no-contact order with the victim.

County prosecutors say the case began after an online relationship in April 2023 between Solis‑Berduo and a non-citizen minor living in Maryland. Prosecutors allege Solis‑Berduo picked the minor up in Maryland and transported her to North Carolina, where sexual activity occurred. Prosecutors originally charged statutory rape, abduction of a child, and human trafficking before extending a plea to the lesser felony of indecent liberties with a minor.

District Attorney Todd Williams explained the prosecutorial decision in court. “Our office is dedicated to holding child predators accountable, but we are also obligated to prove guilt of criminal acts to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt, and that almost always requires testimony from a victim‑witness,” said Williams. “In this case, when the victim‑witness’s attendance became an obstacle, we worked to ensure that this defendant did not walk free.”

Reporting from the court and prosecutor’s office contains some variation on sentencing language. Multiple local reports state a 16- to 29-month term in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, while other accounts rounded the term to 1-2 years or described a 29-month maximum. One early snippet suggested the maximum had been partially served, but that claim is unverified in court records available so far.

The judge’s invocation of the Laken Riley Act in Buncombe County has immediate implications for family safety and immigration enforcement in Western North Carolina. Under the federal provision, judges can order that migrants accused of certain violent offenses be held for transfer to federal immigration authorities. In practical terms for Asheville and surrounding communities, the order means that after completing any state sentence Solis‑Berduo will enter federal custody and face separate deportation proceedings rather than remaining in local or state detention.

For residents, the case highlights cross-jurisdictional investigations and the way victim-witness availability can shape plea bargaining in complex juvenile and interstate cases. The conviction brings long-term monitoring to Solis‑Berduo through a 30-year sex-offender registration and a court-imposed permanent no-contact condition aimed at protecting the victim.

Court docket entries, the sentencing judgment, and ICE custody records will clarify remaining questions about credit for time served and the timing of transfer to federal custody. Buncombe County officials say those records will be reflected in public filings; local reporters will track the paperwork and any federal immigration actions that follow.