Evergreen Reporter

Juan Morales, a 49-year-old Mexican national, has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after deportation. Court documents show Morales was convicted on November 6, 2024, for operating a motor vehicle without a license. Further investigations revealed he had been deported from the U.S. twice before, in 2007 and 2018.

Morales has a history of criminal activities, including two federal convictions for illegal reentry and convictions in Indiana and Illinois for dealing drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine. John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, commented on the case, saying, "While in the United States unlawfully for a third time, this defendant has repeatedly broken the law, demonstrating time and time again a fundamental lack of respect for this country." Childress emphasized the commitment of his office, ICE, and other law enforcement partners to protect communities.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany J. Preston and Samantha Spiro prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a national effort by the Department of Justice to counter illegal immigration and eliminate criminal organizations.