A Mexican national has been sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Heladio Ruchon Rocha-Tellez, 31, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after removal and was sentenced on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to court documents, on December 19, 2023, local law enforcement responded to a report of a burglary in progress at a laundry mat in Beaumont. Upon arrival, officers discovered Rocha-Tellez hiding behind the counter with a significant amount of cash visible in his pocket.
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Subsequent checks of immigration records revealed that Rocha-Tellez, a Mexican citizen, had been previously deported from the United States in 2015 and twice in 2022.
In addition to the federal immigration charge, Rocha-Tellez was convicted on a state burglary charge in Jefferson County court on November 19, 2024, and received a 12-month prison sentence.
Judge Crone ordered that the federal and state sentences run consecutively. Rocha-Tellez will begin his 16-month federal prison term after completing his state sentence.
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