Mexican Citizen Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Re-Entry After Deportation

US Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Mexican citizen charged with illegal re-entry was sentenced on May 25, 2011, by Chief US District Judge Karen E. Schreier. Jose Rodriguez-Amaya, a/k/a Elvin Mendoza-Amaya, age 30, was sentenced to 30 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. He will be turned over to immigration officials for deportation upon his release from prison.

Because Rodriguez-Amaya had been convicted of possession of a controlled substance for sale while he was living in California in 2000, the maximum penalty for his illegal re-entry offense was raised from two years to 20 years in prison.

Rodriguez-Amaya was indicted for illegal re-entry after deportation by a federal grand jury on February 8, 2011. He pled guilty to the offense on April 1, 2011.

The defendant came into contact with the Brookings Police Department on January 27, 2011. It was discovered that he had previously been deported on October 29, 2008, and did not have permission to re-enter the United States.

This case was investigated by Brookings Police Department and the United States Department of Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant US Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.

Rodriguez-Amaya was immediately turned over to the custody of the US Marshal.