An Illegal Immigrant from Mexico Sentenced to Prison After Being Deported Five Times and Returning

A Mexican man who had previously been deported five times was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.

Manuel Sanchez-Rojas, 47, a citizen of Mexico who had been living in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 2, 2016, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien after an aggravated felony conviction.

At the guilty plea, Sanchez-Rojas admitted he illegally reentered the United States without permission after having been deported from the United States in 1992, 1997, 2000, 2004, and 2005.  Sanchez-Rojas was found by immigration authorities in Iowa on April 14, 2016, after Sanchez-Rojas had been arrested in Waterloo on a theft charge.  After being arrested by immigration agents, Sanchez-Rojas threatened to return to the United States and shoot the agents.  Sanchez-Rosa had previously been convicted 11 times in the United States, including convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm, and burglary four times.

Sanchez-Rojas was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Sanchez-Rojas was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment.  A special assessment of $100 was imposed.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Sanchez-Rojas 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 the 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 16-CR-2021.

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