Christian Vargas-Ortiz Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry After Identity Theft Conviction

GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: Christian Vargas-Ortiz, a 22-year-old Mexican national, has been handed a 7-month federal prison sentence for illegal re-entry into the United States. The sentence comes after Vargas-Ortiz was convicted of identity theft and forgery in Iowa.

On November 6, 2014, Vargas-Ortiz pleaded guilty to one count of illegal re-entry as an aggravated felon. He had previously been removed from the country on May 30, 2014. The plea came after Vargas-Ortiz was arrested in Sioux County, Iowa, on August 22, 2014, for driving while his license was barred.

Vargas-Ortiz’s identity theft and forgery conviction in the Iowa District Court for Sioux County occurred on November 6, 2013. The sentence handed down by United States District Judge Mark W. Bennett also includes a mandatory supervised release term of 3 years following his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

During sentencing, Vargas-Ortiz admitted to re-entering the United States without permission after being removed from the country. He is currently in the custody of the United States Marshal’s Service until he can be transported to a federal correctional facility.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Enforcement and Removal Office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau. For more information on the court file, visit https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl with case file number CR14-4077.

Follow the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter @USAO_NDIA for updates on federal crime news.