Honduran National Gets 21 Months for Illegal Reentry After DUI

Edwin Leonel Rivera-Gallardo, 40, a national of Honduras, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for reentering the United States illegally. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia, Matthew L. Harvey, announced the sentence on May 6, 2026. The charge arose after Rivera-Gallardo's arrest by local law enforcement on DUI charges.

The prosecution involved a single defendant. No other individuals faced charges in connection with this matter. The case file shows that Rivera-Gallardo's illegal presence came to light during the DUI stop. The federal government prosecuted the reentry as a separate criminal matter from the state DUI case.

The announcement gives the age and nationality of the defendant but provides no further personal background or additional defendants.

Before the sentencing hearing, Rivera-Gallardo had been charged with the federal offense of illegal reentry. The court imposed the 21-month prison term as the penalty for that offense. This action changes the defendant's status from that of a pretrial detainee or released defendant to a sentenced prisoner.

The term begins after the court issues the judgment and the Bureau of Prisons completes intake and designation to a specific facility.

The sentence requires Rivera-Gallardo to serve 21 months in a federal prison. Upon completion of the term, he becomes subject to removal from the United States by immigration authorities. The U.S. Attorney's Office retains the ability to bring reentry charges against other persons in the district when local arrests reveal unlawful returns.

The case does not alter any statutes or agency budgets. It activates the standard post-sentencing process for this defendant, including transfer to immigration custody after release.

This sentencing forms part of the regular work of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of West Virginia. The Department of Justice publishes notices of such outcomes on a routine basis. The district covers areas in West Virginia where federal prosecutors handle immigration violations that surface through state and local criminal investigations.

Similar cases have reached sentencing in prior periods under the same office.