Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register as a Sex Offender and Being Illegally Present in United States

URBANA, Ill. – A Guatemalan national, Roberto Nicolas-Simon, 24, pleaded guilty on September 24, 2025, to being illegally present in the United States after a prior removal and failing to update his registration as a convicted sex offender. Acceptance of the plea is pending before U.S. District Court Judge Colin S. Bruce. Sentencing for Nicolas-Simon has been scheduled for February 2, 2026, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.

In court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, Nicolas-Simon admitted to illegally reentering the country and failing to update his sex offender registration. The government noted during the hearing, that Nicolas-Simon had previously been removed from the United States following his conviction for aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor in Champaign County, Illinois, in 2020. Due to that conviction, he was required to register his residential address under the Sex Offender Notification and Registration Act.

This year, an investigation revealed that Nicolas-Simon had illegally returned to the United States and was living in Champaign without registering his residence as required by law.

Nicolas-Simon remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Nicolas-Simon faces statutory penalties of up to ten years of imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine for each offense. He could also receive up to three years of supervised release for being illegally present in the United States and at least a five-year term and a maximum life term of supervised release for failure to update his registration as a sex offender.

The case investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, in collaboration with the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney William J. Lynch is representing the government in the prosecution.