24-month sentence for illegal immigrant arrested in Carthage
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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Guatemalan National illegally residing in the Springfield, Greene County, Missouri, area, was sentenced yesterday in federal court for Illegal Re-entry by an Alien after subsequently convicted of a prior aggravated felony crime.
Miguel Guzman-Guerra, also known as Joel Montoya Ortiz, 38, was sentenced yesterday by District Court Chief Judge Brian Wimes for the offense of illegal re-entry into the United States by an alien after having been previously convicted of an aggravated felony offense. Mr. Guzman-Guerra was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment with the Bureau of Prisons. Upon serving his period of imprisonment, Mr. Guzman-Guerra will be deported to his native country of Guatemala.
On Jan. 23, 2025, officers with the Carthage, Missouri, Police Department arrested Mr. Guzman-Guerra during a traffic stop and charged him with driving while revoked, identity theft, and failure to register as a sex offender. Upon determining that Mr. Guzman-Guerra was illegally within the United States, local law enforcement contacted agents with the Department of Homeland Security – Immigration Customs Enforcement (HSI-ICE). Agents responded and confirmed that Mr. Guzman-Guerra was illegally in the United States after having been removed previously in 2014.
Mr. Guzman-Guerra’s was previously convicted for a prior aggravated felony offense of sexual indecency with a child, prior to his illegal re-entry into the United States.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Carthage, Missouri, Police Department.
