Felon Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United States

NORFOLK, Va. – A Mexican national was sentenced last week to 15 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States.

According to court documents, Carlos Matute-Midence, 25, was found to be in the country illegally after his arrest for participating in a large conspiracy in which he and several others traveled up and down the Eastern Shore cashing bad checks at local businesses serving the Hispanic community, stealing a total of almost $70,000. He was convicted of 15 racketeering and uttering counts and sentenced to serve three years in state custody. His federal sentence will be served consecutive to his state sentence.

Before he committed those crimes, Matute-Midence had been deported twice within a week. A week after his second deportation, he voluntarily removed himself from the United States after entering the country a third time. He returned yet again and was arrested for his part in the bad-check scheme sometime later.    

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-111.