Honduran National Sentenced to 5 Months in Prison

HAMMOND – Yesterday, Herlin Yovany Guerrero-Zelaya, 53 years old, of Honduras residing in Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to felony reentry of removed alien, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.

Herlin Yovany Guerrero-Zelaya was sentenced to 5 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, Guerrero-Zelaya’s criminal history includes two prior driving under the influence convictions, and multiple other driving related offenses. He was previously removed from the United States on four separate occasions in 1999, 2015, and twice in 2017.

“Herlin Yovany Guerrero-Zelaya illegally reentered the country after already having been removed on four separate occasions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor.  “Illegal reentry of this kind is a federal crime, and just like any other federal crime, it will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted in this District.  My thanks go out to the law enforcement professionals who brought this case to a just end.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.