A Honduran national was sentenced on May 6 to 21 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States, according to U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Edwin Leonel Rivera-Gallardo, age 40, also known as “William Leonel Gallardo” and “Jose Ortiz Rodriguez Ortiz,” was arrested by the Charles Town Police Department in Jefferson County, West Virginia. He faced charges of third offense driving under the influence, fleeing, and other related offenses. After his arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents determined that Rivera-Gallardo previously held lawful permanent residence in the United States but lost that status following a criminal conviction. Authorities said he had been removed from the country five times before his most recent arrest.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor Hurney prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The investigation involved both U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Charles Town Police Department.
The sentencing is part of Operation Take Back America, described as a nationwide initiative using all resources of the Department of Justice to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, protect communities from violent crime perpetrators, and address illegal immigration issues.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over the case.
