Illegal Alien with Felony Record Sentenced to Sixteen Months in Prison

A man who illegally re-entered the United States after being deported and used false documents to obtain employment was sentenced July 14, 2015, to 16 months in federal prison.

Alejandro Paredes-Barradas, age 34, an illegal alien from Mexico living in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 24, 2015, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document, one count of misuse of a Social Security number, one count of making a false claim to U.S. citizenship, and one count of illegally reentering the United States after having been deported after a felony conviction.

The evidence showed that on May 1, 2013, Paredes-Barradas (using an alias name) used a fraudulent Social Security card and account number to apply for work.  On the Immigration Form I-9, Paredes-Barradas claimed to be a United States Citizen.  He had been previously deported to Mexico in 2007 after his third Iowa conviction for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.  After his deportation, Paredes-Barradas returned to Iowa and was convicted again in 2012 of possession of fictitious identification documents.

Immigration authorities were notified by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office in November 2014 that Paredes-Barradas was in custody on new state charges.  On March 5, 2015, he was convicted in state court of one count of threatening to use explosive or incendiary device, one count of assault domestic abuse causing injury, and one count of reckless use of fire.

Paredes-Barradas was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade.  He was sentenced to sixteen months’ imprisonment.  A special assessment of $400 was imposed.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.        

Paredes-Baradas is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 14-CR-2051.

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