Guatemala Citizen Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry After Forgery Conviction

GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: In a gritty federal court session, Lazaro Martin-Bartolon, a 28-year-old citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for illegal re-entry into the United States. The sentence came after Martin-Bartolon pleaded guilty to one count of illegal re-entry on June 5, 2014.

Martin-Bartolon had previously been removed from the country on November 19, 2009, following a conviction for forgery in Sioux County, Iowa. His return was detected by Homeland Security Investigations’ (HIS) when he was apprehended for Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) in Sioux County, Iowa, on March 14, 2014.

The sentencing took place in Sioux City, with United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett presiding over the hearing. Martin-Bartolon faced a special assessment of $100 and a mandatory one-year term of supervised release following his prison sentence. There is no parole available under the federal system.

Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher prosecuted the case, while HSI and the Enforcement and Removal Office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau conducted the investigation. Court file information for this matter can be accessed at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, with the case file number listed as 14-CR-4043.

This case serves as a stark reminder of the severe penalties for illegal re-entry into the United States and underscores the efforts of federal agencies in ensuring border security. Martin-Bartolon’s sentence sends a clear message that such actions will not be tolerated and can lead to substantial time behind bars.