A Mexican man who had previously been deported twice was sentenced today to 16 months in federal prison.
Leonardo Vega-Martinez, age 40, a citizen of Mexico who had been living in Cascade, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 4, 2017, guilty plea to misuse of a Social Security Number and illegal reentry of a removed alien after a felony conviction.
In a plea agreement, Vega-Martinez admitted he illegally reentered the United States without permission after having been deported from the United States in 2009 and 2011. Vega-Martinez also admitted that after illegally returning to the United States, he used a fraudulent Social Security Number when he completed an Immigration Form I-9 in February 2013 to obtain employment at a company in Earlville, Iowa. Vega-Martinez was previously convicted in Texas in 2011 of illegal reentry of a removed alien, a felony offense. Vega-Martinez had also been convicted of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol three times, including two times in Allamakee County, Iowa, where he was convicted under an alias.
Vega-Martinez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Vega-Martinez was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $200 was imposed. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Vega-Martinez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-2012-LRR.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
