Mexican National Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Illegal Reentry of a Previously Removed Alien and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Cosme Marin-Ponce, age 41, of Mexico, was sentenced to 18 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien and failure to register as a sex offender.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Marin-Ponce had previously been removed from the United States in 2019, after pleading guilty to indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old.  Marin-Ponce was subsequently found in the United States without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country. Marin-Ponce also failed to register as a sex offender, as his previous conviction required.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This matter was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera prosecuted the case.

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