Posted: Mar 13, 2013 7:26 AM PDT Updated: Mar 13, 2013 7:31 AM PDT
By WMBF News Staff

CONWAY, SC (WMBF) - An illegal alien residing in Horry County pleaded guilty to drug trafficking before his case went to trial, says Solicitor Jimmy Richardson.

A jury had been selected to weigh the facts in the case for Juventino Luna on Monday, March 11, who would be represented by attorney Bill Grammar.

The state of South Carolina offered Luna the option to plead guilty to trafficking cocaine with a sentence of 10 years in prison. After Luna entered his guilty plea, the state agreed to dismiss a charge against him for trafficking marijuana and Judge Larry Hyman sentenced him to 17 years in prison for the cocaine trafficking charge.

He will not be given the option of parole, the solicitor said.

According to the press release from the solicitor's office, the drug trafficking charges stem from a search of Luna's home in May 2011 where agents with the Drug Enforcement Unit located around 1,000 grams of cocaine and approximately 22 pounds of marijuana.

Illegal alien pleads guilty to cocaine trafficking - WMBFNews.com, Myrtle Beach/Florence SC, Weather