Ludwin Leonel Monterroso-Lemus, 31, a native of Guatemala and most recent resident of Lenoir City, Tennessee, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison on March 7, 2018, for illegally reentering the United States and possessing a firearm and ammunition. The sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Pamela Reeves, marks the end of a violent spiral that began with a gunfire incident and exposed a pattern of repeated immigration violations.
Monterroso-Lemus, also known as Ludwid Lemus, pleaded guilty in October 2017 to a three-count federal indictment. The charges stemmed from his return to the U.S. without authorization after being formally deported in May 2010 near Hidalgo, Texas, by U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials. Despite that removal, he reentered the country and lived in the shadows—until June 2017, when Lenoir City police responded to a report of shots fired.
Officers found Monterroso-Lemus in possession of a loaded firearm and ammunition at the scene. He admitted to discharging the weapon during a confrontation with three males, escalating a street dispute into a federal crime. Because he is an undocumented alien, federal law prohibits him from possessing any firearm or ammunition—making the offense a slam-dunk for federal prosecutors.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bart Slabbekorn, who emphasized the danger posed by violent offenders who illegally reenter the country. “This is not a bureaucratic immigration issue—it’s public safety,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey. “This case underscores our commitment to enforcing immigration laws and reducing violent crime, two top priorities of the Department of Justice and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.”
Law enforcement collaboration proved critical: the Lenoir City Police Department made the initial arrest, while U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations took over the federal angle, confirming Monterroso-Lemus’s prior deportation and unlawful status. The joint probe exemplifies the boots-on-the-ground enforcement strategy driving federal crackdowns in Middle Tennessee.
The prosecution was conducted under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Justice Department’s nationwide initiative targeting gun violence through coordinated federal, state, and local partnerships. PSN empowers U.S. attorneys to leverage maximum penalties against gun offenders, especially those with prior removal orders. Monterroso-Lemus now heads to prison under that mandate—another name on the docket, another warning shot across the bow of repeat offenders.
Related Federal Cases
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- Memphis Man Dionico Salazar-Martinez Indicted for Illegal Reentry · Texas
- Honduran Guilty: Illegal Reentry After DUIs · Texas
- Terry Monk Sentenced for Gun Possession · Texas
- Russell Cary Owens Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Possession · North Carolina
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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