Illegal Alien Sentenced for Unlawful Reentry and Possession of a Firearm

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -  On March 7, 2018, Ludwin Leonel Monterroso-Lemus, a/k/a Ludwid Lemus, 31,  a native of Guatemala most recently residing in Lenoir City, Tennessee, was sentenced by the Honorable Pamela Reeves, U.S. District Judge, to serve 24 months in prison.                 

Monterroso-Lemus pleaded guilty in October 2017 to a three-count indictment charging him with illegally reentering the United States after being deported and illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. 

According to documents on file with the U.S. District Court, Monterroso-Lemus, a native of Guatamala, was deported from the United States near Hidalgo, Texas, in May 2010, by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  He reentered the United States without the consent of Homeland Security and was arrested in Lenoir City, Tennessee in June 2017, after officers responded to a shots fired report.  At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  Monterroso-Lemus admitted to discharging the firearm after a dispute with three males.

“This case emphasizes the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to enforcing immigration laws and reducing violent crime, two top priorities of the Department of Justice and Attorney General Jeff Sessions,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey. 

Agencies involved in the investigation of this case include the Lenoir City Police Department and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Bart Slabbekorn represented the United States during court proceedings.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws.  It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences.  PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community faces. 

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