LEXINGTON, KY - Two undocumented aliens from Mexico received prison sentences today for illegally reentering the U.S.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jennifer B. Coffman sentenced 36-year-old Augustin Guevara-Barcenas to 57 months in prison and 42-year-old Jorge Manuel Gonzalez-Lopez to a 28 month prison term for illegal reentry after previous deportation.
In February, Lexington authorities identified Guevara-Barcenas as an undocumented alien. Court records show Guevara-Barcenas had previously assaulted a police officer. A Fayette County Circuit Court Judge sentenced him to one year in prison for third degree assault and he was deported in May of 2007. Judge Coffman enhanced Guevara-Barcenas’ sentence because his previous assault conviction was a crime of violence. Guevara-Barcenas admitted in May he had not applied for readmission to enter the U.S.
Authorities also identified Gonzalez-Lopez as an illegal alien in February of this year. Gonzalez-Lopez was previously convicted in federal court of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine in 2002. He was deported back to Mexico in April 2002 and again in March 2004. He admitted he had not applied for readmission prior to his most recent entry into the U.S.
This marks the third sentencing of an undocumented alien this week in U.S. District Court in Lexington. On Monday, Juge Joseph M. Hood sentenced 31-year-old Nicanor Barojas-Santana to 15 months for possessing a counterfeit U.S. resident card and for illegally possessing a firearm.
Kerry B. Harvey, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Ricardo Wong, Chicago Field Director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations jointly announced the sentence today.
Under federal law, each defendant must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ICE. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Marye.
