A man previously convicted as a sex offender has been arrested and charged at the federal level for reentering the United States illegally. Carlos Gonzales Hernandez, 55, from El Salvador, is due to appear in federal court in Columbus.

An affidavit supporting the criminal complaint states that Gonzales Hernandez was convicted in August 2017 in Franklin County on three felony counts of gross sexual imposition and sentenced to six years in prison. In September 2022, he was removed from the U.S. following a final immigration order.

On January 2, Madison County sheriff's deputies stopped Gonzales Hernandez for traffic violations. He was arrested and placed in the Tri-County Regional Jail located in Mechanicsburg. Following this arrest, he was taken into federal custody and charged with illegal reentry into the United States—a crime that carries a penalty of up to ten years imprisonment. If his prior conviction is classified as an aggravated felony, the potential sentence could rise to twenty years.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Robert Lynch, Field Office Director for ERO Detroit Field Office announced these charges. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sheila G. Lafferty.

It should be noted that a criminal complaint consists only of allegations; defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in court.