Foreign National Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Re-Entering the United States Following Previous Deportations

Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Juan Gomez-Fonseca, age 49, of Bridgeport, Washington, was sentenced after having pleaded guilty on October 19, 2018, to being an Alien Illegally in the United States After Previously Being Deported. Senior United States District Judge Wm. Fremming Nielsen sentenced Gomez-Fonseca to a 5-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison. Gomez-Fonseca will be deported to his home country, Mexico, after he completes serving his prison sentence.

According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Gomez-Fonseca, a Mexican national, was arrested on March 13, 2018, in Okanogan County, Washington. He had been previously deported from the United States on four separate occasions. Gomez-Fonseca’s criminal record included convictions for false imprisonment, domestic violence assault, driving under the influence, obstruction of a police officer, illegal entry into the United States and being an alien in the United States after deportation.

Harrington said, “The sentence imposed by the Court today not only promotes the rule of law, but reflects the serious consequences for foreign nationals who return illegally to the United States after having previously been deported multiple times and having previously committed multiple criminal offenses.”

This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Office of the United States Border Patrol. This case was prosecuted by Matthew F. Duggan, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.