Rosario Betancourt-Garcia was convicted in August in Madison County District Court of kidnapping, conspiracy and use of a firearm.
Court records say Betancourt-Garcia was identified by his then-21-year-old victim as having been one of two men who kidnapped and terrorized him on Nov. 15, 2003. The other man, Jose Luis Trevino, was convicted in 2005 and sent to prison.
Officials say Betancourt-Garcia was mistakenly deported to Mexico shortly after the crimes occurred. He returned to the United States and lived in Texas until he was arrested in 2013 and extradited to Nebraska.
He was sentenced to the mandatory life term on Friday.