PRESS RELEASE
May 16, 2008
Lexington, Ky. —A three time convicted felon, 46-year-old Gregorio Castro-Alvarez of Mexico was sentenced today to 30 months in prison by United States District Court Senior Judge Karl S. Forester for charges of Reentry of a Removed Alien Convicted of an Aggravated Felony.
In February of this year, Castro-Alvarez pleaded guilty to the charges and admitted that during an interview with an ICE agent on November 23, 2007, he entered the United States approximately two to three years ago without proper inspection and was currently living in Fayette County. Castro-Alvarez also acknowledged that on November 21st, he was arrested by Lexington Metro Police for Criminal Trespassing and Non Payment of Fines. At the time of the arrest he told police his name was Pedro-Gomez.
Castro-Alvarez also admitted during his plea that he was convicted of Illegal Entry into the United States by the Southern District of Texas in March of 1997 and ultimately deported back to Mexico.
According the plea agreement, in August of 1997 and in June of 1996, Castro-Alvarez was convicted of possessing cocaine in Georgia. In addition, the Superior Court of California convicted him for distributing cocaine in San Francisco in 1993.
Under federal law, Castro-Alvarez must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, and following his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for three years.
James A. Zerhusen, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Paul Chambers Resident Agent in Charge of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, jointly made the announcement today after the sentencing.
The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Robert K. McBride.