PROVIDENCE — Three of the 31 contract maintenance workers arrested at Rhode Island courthouses in July entered plea agreements yesterday in U.S. District Court on federal misdemeanor criminal charges of entering the country illegally.

Those three workers, and a fourth who remains a fugitive, are the only ones who have been charged criminally in the case. The federal government charged the other 27 workers with administrative immigration violations.

Eli Veliz-Coleman, 23, of Providence; Olga Marina Vasquez-Palma, 29, of Providence; and Juan Carlos Martinez-Martinez, 23, struck plea agreements with the U.S. Attorney’s office. In exchange, the government dismissed criminal felony charges against Veliz-Coleman of one count each of identity theft and using a false ID; one count against Martinez-Martinez of use and possession of false ID; and one count against Vasquez-Palma of using a false ID.

Magistrate Judge David L. Martin ordered Veliz-Coleman to serve four months in prison — time he has already served since his arrest in July — and ordered him to pay a $10 special assessment. Martinez-Martinez and Vasquez Palma were each given one-year’s probation and ordered to pay a $10 special assessment.

Veliz-Coleman and Martinez-Martinez were released into the custody of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, and are expected to return to their home countries under voluntary departure. Veliz-Coleman was released on probation as a condition of his agreement to voluntarily return to Guatemala, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

A month-long investigation preceded the arrests of the 31 workers by dozens of ICE agents at six Rhode Island courthouses on July 15. The workers, from Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil and Mexico, were suspected of being in the country illegally.

All of the workers were employed either by Tri-State Enterprises of North Providence, or Falcon Maintenance LLC of Johnston. The two companies contracted with the Rhode Island Judiciary for janitorial services at state courthouses, and collectively held contracts for more than four dozen state buildings.

The remaining 27 workers face administrative (civil) immigration charges of being in the country illegally. At least three of those workers have agreed to voluntary return to their home countries next month. The other cases are pending before federal immigration court in Boston — some of the workers have filed pleas for asylum in the United States.

In October, Falcon Maintenance operator Vincent D’Elia Jr. pleaded guilty by agreement with the government to a single misdemeanor charge that since 2004 he had repeatedly and knowingly hired illegal immigrants.

The Carcieri administration canceled its contracts with the two companies following the courthouse raids. After D’Elia pleaded guilty, the Rhode Island Judiciary canceled its contract with Falcon.

kziner@projo.com