Honduran National Sentenced to 7 Months in Prison For Immigration Offense

SOUTH BEND - Nery Leonel Rivera, 49 years old, a felon from Honduras who had been previously removed from the United States in 2015, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to felony reentry of removed alien, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

Rivera was sentenced to 7 months in prison.

"The Defendant is a convicted felon and his repeated violations of our nation's borders laws are not victimless crimes in that he was caught trying to steal an identity that would allow him to perpetuate his violations. He was convicted of possession of cocaine in 2013, removed from the United States and returned to his home country of Honduras in March 2015. He violated our nation's borders and laws when he reentered the United States a few months later and was removed a second time in September 2015. He violated our nation's borders and laws yet again and progressed in his disregard for our nation's laws. Investigators found Rivera in Indiana while investigating a report of stolen identity. Rivera had paid cash to purchase the identity of another person and used a fake Social Security card and forged birth certificate to misrepresent to his employer that he was a United States citizen. Thanks to the efforts of the US Department of Homeland Security, the Indiana State Police, and AUSA Jerome W. McKeever, the Defendant was prosecuted and convicted for his crimes," U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred said.

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security with assistance from the Indiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerome W. McKeever.