A Guatemalan resident has been sentenced in a federal court for illegal reentry into the United States. Josue Raul Ascon-Morales, 26, pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to time served. He is ordered to be removed from the country, as announced by United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan.
The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV. Court documents revealed that Ascon-Morales had previously been removed from the U.S. in March 2008. On September 1, 2024, he was stopped by Moon Township Police Department during a traffic stop in Western Pennsylvania, where it was discovered that he was unlawfully present in the country.
Following his detention by immigration authorities on October 22, 2024, Ascon-Morales admitted to entering the U.S. illegally in April 2018 and was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on November 19, 2024.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski handled the prosecution of this case for the government. U.S. Attorney Olshan praised U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations for their role in investigating and successfully prosecuting Ascon-Morales.