A 25-year-old Guatemalan man made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Friday, Feb. 28, for allegedly failing to register or update his sex offender registration and reentering the U.S. following deportation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Juan Hernandez Zacharias was arrested in Mason County Friday morning by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigation agents.
Zackarias is charged by criminal complaint with two felonies. The first, failure to register or update his sex offender registration, relates to his sentencing in October 2022 for first-degree child molestation. The sentencing documents advise Zackarias that should he leave the state, he must register as a sex offender within three days of returning. Zackarias allegedly did not register as required, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The second charge, reentry of a removed alien, relates to Zackarias’ return following deportation. On Jan. 2, 2024, Zackarias had a removal hearing in Immigration Court. He was ordered removed and on Feb. 4, 2024, he was removed from the United States and transported to Guatemala.
However, on May 16, 2024, Zackarias registered a white van with Washington state plates in his name, indicating that he had returned to Washington.
On Dec. 6, 2024, Zackarias was arrested by Mason County Sheriff’s Office deputies for failing to register as a sex offender. The arrest was logged in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The NCIC system alerted ICE Homeland Security Investigations that Zackarias has an order of removal in place. The federal criminal complaint was sworn and filed with Magistrate Judge David W. Christal on Feb. 21, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Failure to register or update sex offender registration is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Reentry of a removed alien is punishable by up to two years in prison.
“The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations,” the U.S. Department of Justice stated in a news release. “A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
The case is being investigated by ICE Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite and Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Collins.
