Alien Caught With False Identification Documents After Drunk Driving Is Imprisioned For Illegally Re-entering The United States
DAVENPORT, Iowa - On December 20, 2007, Antonio Medina-Sanchez, age 33, of Guanajuato, Mexico, was sentenced in the United States District Court in Davenport, to a term of 125 months for illegal re-entry after deportation, misuse of immigration documents (2 counts), and misuse of a social security number (3 counts) announced United States Attorney Matthew G. Whitaker. United States District Judge James E. Griztner imposed the sentences on the six counts to run concurrently. Judge Gritzner also ordered Medina-Sanchez to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment and to pay a $600 assessment to the Crime Victim Fund. On March 1, 2007, Medina-Sanchez was found guilty after a jury trial.
On January 4, 2004, Medina-Sanchez, an illegal alien, had already been deported at least twice and returned when he was involved in a fatal car accident on Highway 34 in Des Moines County, Iowa. Police responded to the scene of the accident and found Medina-Sanchez was the sole occupant of a vehicle that had crossed the center line and struck another car head-on. The driver of the other car was dead at the scene. There were several empty bottles of Schmirnoff ICE in Medina-Sanchez’s vehicle and he was found to be under the influence of alcohol. Medina-Sanchez was later convicted of Operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, his fourth such conviction, but was found not guilty of vehicular homicide. Judge Gritzner described Medina-Sanchez’s offense as very serious and agreed that the best way to protect the public from Medina-Sanchez and to provide adequate deterrence to others is to incarcerate him for a long time.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa. The investigation was conducted by the Iowa State Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Office of Inspector General for the Social Security Administration.