Clinton J. Johnson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma
A Guatemalan national has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for unlawfully reentering the United States, as announced by U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. Hilario Lucas Mendoza, aged 42, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill for the charge of Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Following his imprisonment, Mendoza will be subject to one year of supervised release.
The case arose after Mendoza was arrested by the Tulsa Police Department on charges of domestic assault and battery. During the booking process, officers identified that he was residing illegally in the United States.
Court documents reveal that between 2003 and 2006, Mendoza faced four arrests in Tulsa County for driving under the influence. Additionally, in 2005, he was detained for physically assaulting his girlfriend. His history includes two deportations to Guatemala in 2009 due to unlawful reentry into the country.
Mendoza is set to remain in custody until he is transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The investigation involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations alongside the Tulsa Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris.