Four men, previously deported, found themselves in front of federal judges this week to face the consequences of illegally returning to the United States. The cases, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell, Shayna Gannone, and S. Chandler Harris, resulted in sentences ranging from time served to over a year in prison, the Department of Justice reports.
Colombian national Eric Gonzalez, 44, received the longest sentence among the group: 12 months and a day in prison. According to the press release, Gonzalez's history with U.S. law enforcement dates back to a robbery conviction in New Jersey, which led to his deportation in February 2008. Following a theft arrest by the Abington Township Police Department last April, and subsequent sentence for the state theft conviction, ICE officers moved in October. Gonzalez entered a guilty plea to the federal charge of illegal reentry in February.
Meanwhile, Eddy Rondon Salcedo, 34, from the Dominican Republic, was handed a sentence equivalent to the time he had already served, around five months, after he reentered the U.S. Salcedo, who had previously been a lawful permanent resident on a visa, was removed from the country last June following a conviction for possession with intent to distribute narcotics. ICE re-arrested him in Philadelphia in December 2024, leading to his recent sentencing.
Honduran Wilmer Yovani Fuentes-Benitez, 34, also received a sentence matching his time already served in custody, approximately four months, after illegally reentering the U.S. following multiple previous deportations. Fuentes-Benitez' interaction with ICE officers has been recurrent since his first deportation in June 2008, after arrests ranging from assault charges to involvement in an alien smuggling operation. His latest brush with the law began with a February arrest and, a swift guilty plea in March.
Ronal Hilario Morantin-Mota, 39, another Dominican national, who operated under an alias, served approximately three months for his illegal return to the States. Morantin-Mota's prior deportation followed drug charges by Pennsylvania State Police in early 2019. Earlier this year, ICE developed intelligence regarding his presence in the country, conducted surveillance to confirm his identity, and re-apprehended him in February; he too pleaded guilty in March, as detailed by the Department of Justice.
As these cases close, the individuals involved now face impending removal from the United States once again, as per the sentences handed down by the district judges.
