ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A Honduran man who was recently convicted of aggravated sexual battery of a child under the age of 13, pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States.
“Garcia-Gordillo has repeatedly disregarded our immigration laws, entering the United States illegally on three occasions," said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Garcia-Gordillo used his time in America to engage in a pattern of sexual abuse on an innocent child and has demonstrated that he poses a serious threat to our public safety."
According to court documents, Eliseo Garcia-Gordillo, 38, who was recently residing in Manassas, was twice previously removed from the United States at taxpayer expense in 2007. Sometime thereafter, Garcia-Gordillo reentered the United States without permission to do so. He was found in the United States in February 2017, when he was arrested by Prince William County. In June, Garcia-Gordillo was convicted in Virginia on two counts of aggravated sexual battery of a child under the age of 13.
“Garcia-Gordillo has demonstrated continuous disregard for our laws," said Lyle A. Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C. “We will not tolerate repeat offenders, and certainly will not tolerate those illegally present who have proven to be a threat to our safety."
Garcia-Gordillo pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry after removal and faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison when sentenced on November 11. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Lyle A. Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danya E. Atiyeh are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-134.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
