United States of America v. Ivan Hernandez-Ortiz

Dallas, Texas criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with illegaly reentry.

Ivan Hernandez-Ortiz, 36, residing in Dallas, Texas, illegally entered the United States approximately five times, was granted voluntary return on three occasions, and was formally removed twice. Previously, he was federally prosecuted for illegal reentry into the United States in the Southern District of Texas in 2015 and was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison.

Court records reflect that Hernandez-Ortiz was also convicted of six other felonies, including drug trafficking, firearm theft, and sexual abuse of a child—the victim of which was a 15-year-old female recognized during a traffic stop by Dallas Police Department officers as a child identified on a bulletin as missing and potentially being sex trafficked. Evidence at sentencing revealed that Hernandez-Ortiz previously admitted to being in a dating relationship with the victim and that she was pregnant with his unborn child. For the current illegal reentry offense, the lead prosecutor sought the maximum sentence allowed by statute, and the Court agreed.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney Marbel Leonel Munoz prosecuted the case.

The Defendant was found guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.