18 month federal prison sentence for Honduran man living illegally in Belmond

BELMOND — A Honduran man deported numerous times who was recently living in Belmond has been sentenced to federal prison time.

28-year-old Jorge Matute-Banegas pleaded guilty in February to one count of illegal re-entry into the United States after having been convicted of an aggravated felony. Matute-Banegas admits that he previously was deported in 2011, 2013 and 2014 and illegally re-entered the US without permission. He was found by immigration agents in December 2018 after he was charged in Wright County with driving without a license.

Matute-Banegas was previously convicted in Arizona in 2012 for possession of marijuana and in Texas for illegal re-entry.

US District Judge C. J. Williams this week sentenced Matute-Banegas to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.