Registered sex offender sentenced for illegal re-entry into the US

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A registered sex offender, who previously was convicted in North Carolina of taking indecent liberties with a minor child, was sentenced Friday in federal court to 40 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for illegally re-entering the United States after he was ordered removed in immigration proceedings. This follows after an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington.

Jose Santiago Hernandez-Lopez, 36, of Gainesville, was found guilty March 24 for illegally re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony. Hernandez-Lopez first illegally entered the United States on Sept. 8, 1991. He was convicted in 1998 by the Superior Court of Alamance County, North Carolina, for taking indecent liberties with a minor child.

Hernandez-Lopez was registered as a convicted sex offender and was placed into immigration proceedings after he finished serving his North Carolina sentence. Hernandez-Lopez was removed from the United States on Nov. 23, 1999, but illegally entered the country at a later date.