⏱ 2 min read
Franklin Flores-Penas, a 48-year-old Honduran national, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after being deported four times. The sentence was handed down in Asheville, North Carolina, where Flores-Penas was arrested in Buncombe County. The defendant had a history of disregarding the law, having been convicted of a felony drug offense in Los Angeles, California in 2004, and subsequently deported four times.
Flores-Penas’s criminal history dates back to January 16, 2004, when he was convicted of a felony drug offense in Los Angeles. He was ordered to be deported on February 25, 2004, but voluntarily reentered the United States without permission. This pattern of behavior continued, with Flores-Penas being removed from the United States three more times, in 2008, 2015, and 2018.
Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger noted Flores-Penas’s disregard for the law and his many previous reentries after deportation. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess.
Flores-Penas will be removed from the United States after completing his prison sentence. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Organized Crime
- Defendant: North Carolina
- Location: NC
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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