Submitted by U.S. Attorney’s Office
Six illegal immigrants, all convicted felons with numerous and wide-ranging convictions, have been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry in the Southern District of Indiana.
The prosecutions, which involved defendants arrested in Bartholomew, Hamilton, Henry, and Marion counties, stemmed from separate investigations. Each case was handled independently.
- Francisco Cervantes-Venegas, 36, of Mexico, was sentenced to four years, nine months’ imprisonment with two years of supervised release. He was previously removed from the United States in January 2015 and April 2017.
- German Lazo Mendez, 36, of Honduras, was sentenced to four years, three months’ imprisonment with two years of supervised release. He was previously removed from the country in September 2015 and May 2019.
- Giovani Ramirez-Soto, 33, of Mexico, was sentenced to two years, six months’ imprisonment with two years of supervised release. He was previously removed from the country in April 2013 and September 2020.
- Bonifacio Ortiz-Pena, 40, of Mexico, was sentenced to one year, six months’ imprisonment and two years of supervised release. He was previously removed from the country in June 2005, February 2020, and March 2020.
- Nelgio Tovias DeLeon-Perez, 46, of Mexico. He was sentenced to one year, two months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release. He was previously removed from the country in April 2008 and April 2014.
- Mauricio Toto-Xolo, 32, of Mexico. He was sentenced to time served (11 months). He was previously removed from the country at November 2011 and March 2016.
At the time the defendants entered their guilty pleas, they acknowledged that upon completion of their sentence, they will be subject to removal from the United States. Conditions of supervision require the defendants to surrender to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon release from federal custody.
“Violent criminal aliens who repeatedly violate our immigration laws and endanger our communities must face real consequences,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Through Operation Take Back America, we are unleashing the full force of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal aliens and ensure that those who threaten our security face swift and decisive justice.”
The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated these cases. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judges Matthew P. Brookman, Jane Magnus-Stinson, and Chief Judge James R. Sweeney II.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Eakman, Carolyn Haney, MaryAnn Mindrum, and Meredith Wood, who prosecuted these cases.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).