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Press Release

Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported Two Times

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Iowa
Has Prior Felony Conviction for Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Deliver

A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to eight months in federal prison.

Jose Luis Francisco-Gonzalez, age 37, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 7, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.

At the guilty plea, Francisco-Gonzalez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Francisco-Gonzalez was deported in April 2017 following a February 2017 felony conviction in Rock Island County, Illinois for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.  The marijuana conviction arose out of a Rock Island traffic stop where Francisco-Gonzalez bought marijuana in Cedar Rapids to sell in Illinois.  On May 31, 2019, Francisco-Gonzalez was deported a second time after illegally reentering the United States in Arizona.  On August 27, 2019, Francisco-Gonzalez was arrested by immigration officers after they learned Francisco-Gonzalez had illegally returned to the United States and was living in Cedar Rapids.

Francisco-Gonzalez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Judge C.J. Williams.  Francisco-Gonzalez was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Francisco-Gonzalez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl

The case file number is 19-CR-93.

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Updated February 18, 2020

Topic
Immigration