The 27-year-old man accused of killing a young Denver lawyer in an October hit-and-run collision pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported to Honduras in 2007.

Norlan Estrada-Reyes was sentenced to the 45 days he had already served, but will be taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon his release in the federal case.

Federal prosecutors had asked that Estrada-Reyes, who was twice arrested in Denver before the crash that killed 28-year-old Karina Pulec — including for suspicion of driving under the influence — be sentenced to four months in prison.

However U.S. District Judge Philip A. Brimmer agreed with Estrada-Reyes’ attorney that he could not consider the pending hit-and-run case as an aggravating factor in how long the defendant should be incarcerated. A conviction for illegally reentering the country after being deported can put someone in federal prison for up to two years. But because of his relatively light conviction history, the sentencing recommendation for Estrada-Reyes was zero to six months.

Estrada-Reyes’ attorney argued for a lenient sentence for her client because he is a parent and an upstanding community member who coaches youth soccer and volunteered on Thanksgiving.

“He showers his kids with love,” she said. “He is known for his hard work.”

“You have the last word,” Estrada-Reyes told Brimmer through an interpreter before the sentence was handed down. “I’m five days short of having been detained in jail for three months.”

Estrada-Reyes likely will be freed from custody in the illegal reentry case before the middle of the week, but will be held by ICE pending almost-definite deportation. Denver prosecutors will have to work with federal immigration officials on the timeline of that process in order to ensure he faces charges in Pulec’s death.

The Denver’s District Attorney’s Office has filed a formal request to federal immigration officials asking to have Estrada-Reyes appear Friday in Denver court for an arraignment in the hit-and-run.

Estrada-Reyes’ case is the second in the past several months in which a person in the country illegally, who had previous run-ins with police, has been accused in a Denver killing. After a 2013 arrest for making a false report, Estrada-Reyes posted bond and was released before ICE agents reached him. In the other case, a driving under the influence arrest in 2014, ICE was not aware of his arrest or subsequent plea to driving while ability impaired.

The other Denver case involves Ever Valles, 19, who was released from the Denver jail in October after immigration officials flagged him as an enforcement priority. Police say on Feb. 7 that Valles, a known gang member, and another 19-year-old were involved in the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Tim Cruz during a robbery at a light rail station.

Valles, a Mexican citizen, has been charged with first-degree murder.

Colorado jailers say they lack the authority under state law to hold inmates solely because of their immigration status.

Pulec was killed on Oct. 30 and Estrada-Reyes turned himself in to Denver police on Nov. 3. He was charged with felony hit-and-run involving death, driving without proof of insurance and careless driving resulting in death.

According to federal court documents, immigration officers interviewed him Nov. 5 and issued an immigration detainer.

The Denver Sheriff Department says it notified ICE at 1:25 a.m. on Nov. 12 — as the agency had asked — that Estrada-Reyes was set to be released. He was freed at 7 p.m. that day. He had posted bail late on Nov. 11.

“Due to the Denver (Sheriff Department) local policy, the detainer was not honored and Estrada was released from custody to the streets,” according to the federal records.

It wasn’t until Dec. 5 that immigration officers arrested Estrada-Reyes outside the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse downtown after a court appearance in Pulec’s death. On Jan. 13, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Colorado filed a criminal complaint in federal court accusing him of illegally re-entering the country and he was later indicted on the charge.

Federal prosecutors don’t often charge people in the country illegally, who don’t have an extensive conviction history, with immigration-related crimes, deferring instead to ICE. Acting Colorado U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer said they reserve such prosecutions for immigrants who are a public safety threat — like Estrada-Reyes — in an effort to get them off the street.