DENVER (LAWFUEL) – Salomon Renteria-Valdez, age 61, formerly of Montrose, Colorado, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Edward W. Nottingham to serve 46 months (nearly 4 years) in federal prison for unlawful reentry of an aggravated felon.
Renteria-Valdez was charged by Criminal Complaint on February 26, 2008. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on March 12, 2008. He pled guilty before Chief Judge Nottingham on May 9, 2008. He was sentenced by the Chief Judge on August 21, 2008.
According to the indictment, as well as the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, on January 24, 2008, Salomon Renteria-Valdez, a national of Mexico, was found in Montrose after having been deported on August 30, 1996. Renteria-Valdez had been previously convicted in Superior Court of California, County of Mendocino, of possession of a controlled substance for sale. He was also convicted in Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County, of conspiracy to sale/transport a controlled substance and attempted second degree robbery. In addition, Renteria-Valdez had prior convictions of alien smuggling (1978), and molestation of children (1995).
“We’ve increased prosecutions on the Western Slope over the past two years, and will keep prosecuting criminal aliens here and in every part of Colorado,” said U.S. Attorney Troy Eid.
“Significant sentences like this put essential teeth into U.S. immigration laws,” said Jeffrey Copp, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Denver. “Aliens — especially criminal aliens like Renteria-Valdez — cannot re-enter the United States after being officially deported without suffering the severe consequences of their illegal actions.” Copp oversees a four-state area, which includes: Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with support from the Drug Task Force.
The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wyatt Angelo and Dave Conner.
