A Guatemalan man living in Cedar Falls has been sentenced to federal prison time for being in the country illegally. According to court documents, 32-year-old Gerardo Lopez-Mendez, a citizen of Guatemala, came back to the United States after being deported in 2014 and was living in Cedar Falls. Officials say Lopez-Mendez was found during a May 2018 traffic stop of a car that had six illegal immigrants riding in it. Court records show he pleaded guilty in July to one count of illegal entry into the United States. Lopez-Mendez was sentenced to 98 days in prison and a one-year term of supervised release. He is in the custody of the United States Marshal’s until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
