Published July 26 2010
Mexican man sentenced for possessing marijuana, re-entering country illegally

Acting U.S. Attorney Lynn Jordheim announced that Luis Alberto Gomez-Hernandez, 29, of Mexico, was sentenced Monday before U.S. District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and re-entry of deported alien.


U.S. Attorney Lynn Jordheim announced that Luis Alberto Gomez-Hernandez, 29, of Mexico, was sentenced Monday before U.S. District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and re-entry of deported alien.

Gomez-Hernandez pleaded guilty to the charges on May 7, 2010.

Hovland sentenced Gomez-Hernandez to serve one year and one day in federal prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Gomez-Hernandez was ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund.

On March 3, Gomez-Hernandez was driving a motor vehicle eastbound on Interstate 94 in Billings County, North Dakota. Gomez-Hernandez was stopped by the North Dakota Highway Patrol for a traffic violation. Within the vehicle Gomez-Hernandez was driving, a law enforcement officer discovered 41 pounds of marijuana, which Gomez-Hernandez had obtained in Washington. Gomez-Hernandez was to be paid $3,500 to transport the marijuana to Minnesota. Law enforcement officers also discovered Gomez-Hernandez was illegally present in the United States, and he had previously been deported from the United States around Jan. 16, 2009.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation and North Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hagler prosecuted the case.

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