A 39-year-old Brazilian man, Jose Antonio Moreira Martins Desouza, has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison for illegally entering the United States after his prior deportation. The sentencing occurred in a Boston federal court, presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton. Desouza's plea to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien in September was followed by this week's judicial decision. This announcement was made public by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd Lyons, the Field Office Director for the Boston U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations, according to a Department of Justice release.
Following his sentence, Desouza is to also serve three years under supervised release. His previous deportation from the country had taken place nearly a decade earlier, on November 14, 2012. Despite his removal, Desouza managed to somehow illegally re-enter the United States, which eventually led to his arrest by local police on May 22, 2023, and then the subsequent detention by immigration authorities on June 26, 2024.
The case against Desouza was presented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit. Desouza's indictment by a federal grand jury came earlier in July of this year before he pleaded guilty in the fall. The underlying crime, unlawful reentry, consistent with federal immigration law, renders Desouza subject to prosecution due to his reentry to the U.S. after being previously removed, signifying a breach in immigration control and law enforcement protocols.
