Foreign National Sentenced to Over 13 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Re-Entering the United States Following Previous Deportations

Spokane – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that William Moreno-Moreno, age 24, a citizen of Mexico who had been residing in Grant County, Washington, was sentenced after having pleaded guilty on September 12, 2019, to being an alien illegally in the United States after previously being deported. Senior United States District Judge Wm Fremming Nielsen sentenced Moreno-Moreno to a 13-month and 1-day term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 1-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.

According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Moreno-Moreno had three prior removals from the United States. After unlawfully entering the United States a fourth time, Moreno-Moreno was convicted in Grant County of third degree rape of a child and possession of methamphetamine. At the completion of his state sentence, Moreno-Moreno was taken into federal custody.

United States Attorney Hyslop said, “The sentence imposed not only promotes the rule of law, but reflects the consequences for foreign nationals who return illegally to the United States after having been previously deported. Enforcing the immigration laws remains a priority in protecting our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to direct its resources to aggressively investigate and prosecute these cases.”

This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Office of the Department of Homeland Security. This case was prosecuted by Timothy J. Ohms, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.