A 43-year-old individual from the Dominican Republic, Yudelkis Portes, was handed a federal prison sentence of 37 months for the illegal reentry into the United States, after being previously deported, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara determined according to court documents obtained by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The sentence was pronounced following Portes's guilty plea on December 4, 2024. Before the guilty plea, Portes had been convicted on February 28, 2013, of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, resulting in deportation to the Dominican Republic. Nevertheless, Portes managed to make his way back into the United States where U.S. Customs and Border Protection apprehended the convicted felon.
The prosecution was headed by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts, who vigorously pursued the case following the investigation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This sentencing comes amid heightened debates surrounding immigration laws and the criminal justice system's handling of reentry offences.
