U.S. Attorney’s Office secures 2 immigration crimes convictions, charges new defendant

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio announced today two new immigration convictions and charges filed against an additional defendant. Two of the three defendants have a criminal history of domestic violence.

Eduardo Hernandez-Lopez, 37, is an illegal alien from Mexico who was previously arrested by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office for domestic violence, assault and violating a protection order. He pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus on Wednesday to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

In Dayton, Gustavo Rodriguez-Piedra, 45, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to illegally reentering the United States after deportation. The defendant was previously deported from Texas in 2010. Rodriguez-Piedra was also sentenced on Tuesday to time served and will face deportation.

Luis Callejas-Rosas, 54, of Mexico, was arrested in Shelby County for domestic violence and strangulation. He was then taken into federal custody and charged with illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

Illegally reentering the United States is a federal crime punishable by up to two years in prison. If the offender has a prior felony conviction (or multiple prior misdemeanor convictions of certain types), the penalty is increased to 10 years in prison, and if the offender has been previously convicted of an aggravated felony, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. Transporting illegal aliens is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Possessing a firearm as an illegal alien is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Robert Lynch, Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office; and Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Detroit Field Division; announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler J. Aagard, Elizabeth Geraghty and Erica Lunderman are representing the United States in these cases.

Charging documents merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

These cases were investigated and prosecuted by the Southern District of Ohio Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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 our 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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