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Guatemalan man sentenced for illegal reentry into US after prior deportation

LEGAL NEWSLINE

Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Guatemalan man sentenced for illegal reentry into US after prior deportation

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U.S. Attorney Timothy Duax | U.S. Department of Justice

A Guatemalan man, Luis Gomez-Otoy, has been sentenced to over a year in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after deportation and using someone else's social security number to gain employment. The 39-year-old resident of Postville, Iowa, pleaded guilty on August 21, 2024, to charges including unlawful use of identification documents, misuse of a social security number, and illegal reentry following a felony conviction.

Gomez-Otoy admitted to previously being deported from the United States and returning without permission. His arrest in May 2008 during an immigration enforcement action led to his deportation in October that year. On May 8, 2024, immigration officials discovered his illegal return while he was held at Clayton County Jail for state charges. In July 2024, he was convicted of operating while intoxicated and sentenced to seven days' imprisonment.

He also confessed to using fraudulent identification documents—a Social Security card and a Permanent Resident Card—bearing his name but assigned numbers belonging to others when completing employment forms in West Union, Iowa in May 2022.

United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Gomez-Otoy in Cedar Rapids to a term of 13 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt with investigation support from the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Enforcement and Removal Operations. Gomez-Otoy remains in custody awaiting transfer to federal prison.

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