HSI investigation results in prison sentence for undocumented resident
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A previously convicted felon was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for unlawful reentry into the United States and illegally possessing a firearm.
The sentenced was announced by the acting U.S. Attorney for the western district of Tennessee.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
"HSI works to keep our communities safe by removing violent criminals and deadly weapons from our streets," said Jerry C. Templet, Jr, special agent in charge, HSI Nashville.
Cecilio Gonzalez-Espino, 31, was convicted of multiple felony methamphetamine charges in California in 2011. As a result of his prior convictions and undocumented status, Gonzalez-Espino is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
According to information presented in court, HSI agents located the Gonzalez-Espino in August 2020 with a loaded firearm in his vehicle. He was subsequently indicted for illegally possessing a firearm and illegally reentering the United States after removal.
Upon his release from prison, Gonzalez-Espino will serve three years of supervised release and faces deportation. There is no parole in the federal system.
Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) is a directorate of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move.
HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 special agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
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