RICHMOND, Va. – A Montross man was sentenced today to two years in prison for illegally reentering the U.S. following removal due to an aggravated felony conviction of carnal knowledge of a child. The charge stems from having sex with children between the ages of 13 and 15 years of age.
According to court documents, Jose Francisco Zepeda-Reyes, 31, lawfully entered the U.S. as the child of a lawful permanent resident. In 2011, at 20 years of age, Zepeda-Reyes was convicted in Essex County of carnal knowledge of a child between 13 and 15 years of age. He was sentenced to five years in prison, with four years and three months suspended, and deported after completing his active sentence. On an unknown date thereafter, Zepeda-Reyes illegally reentered the country and began residing in Montross.
In 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) received information that Zepeda-Reyes had illegally returned to the U.S., which led to his arrest. After being prosecuted by authorities in Westmoreland County for failing to register as a sex offender, he was turned over to federal authorities for prosecution relating to the instant illegal reentry offense.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Shawn Byers, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hood prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-142.