Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
David Pineda-Medrano, a 39-year-old man from Guatemala who had been living in Rolfe, Iowa, was sentenced on Mar. 26 to four years in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after being deported as a felon.
Pineda-Medrano pleaded guilty on October 29, 2025, to one count of being a felon found after illegal reentry. The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address illegal immigration and related crimes.
According to court proceedings, Pineda-Medrano admitted he returned to the United States after his removal in June 2022. Before that removal, he was convicted in the District of Columbia of Attempted First Degree Sexual Abuse and Sexual Abuse of a Child or Minor and served more than four years in prison. After his return to the U.S., he was discovered in Rolfe following an arrest and conviction for Assault Causing Bodily Injury or Mental Illness. In that incident, he struck another person with an 18-inch machete and threatened their life.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Pineda-Medrano in Sioux City to 48 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole available under the federal system. He will remain in U.S. Marshal’s custody until transferred to a federal prison.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood with investigation by Enforcement and Removal Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, described as "a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime."
