Thread: Mexican national sentenced to 12 years for cannabis traffick

http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2 ... 017741.txt

Mexican national sentenced to 12 years for cannabis trafficking

By RON INGRAM - H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR - A Mexican national who brought 27 pounds of marijuana to Decatur to sell was sentenced Wednesday in Macon County Circuit Court to 12 years in prison for the Class X crime of unlawful cannabis trafficking.

Jorge Vazques-Herrera pleaded guilty to the charge under an agreement he and his attorney, Assistant Public Defender David Massey, reached with the state's attorney's office.

The 12-year sentence is the minimum provided under state law for the charge, which carries a maximum period of incarceration of 60 years.

Associate Judge James Coryell said Vazques-Herrera would qualify for day-for-day good time and would receive credit for 210 days already served in the county jail. He also fined Vazques-Herrera $124,721, the estimated street value if the marijuana had been sold.

Based on that sentence, Massey estimated his client could be released in five years. He said as a foreign national, Vazques-Herrera would be subject to deportation because of the felony conviction.

Vazques-Herrera was arrested Feb. 16 by Decatur police officers who served a narcotics search warrant at 442 Carol Manor, where they found him in a bedroom of the mobile home, said Assistant State's Attorney Jay Scott, who prosecuted the case.

In the bedroom with him was a duffel bag containing two bricks of marijuana, Scott said. In a Ford Explorer with Colorado license plates that was parked in the driveway, officers found two loose panels, he said.

A police dog trained to sniff narcotics had indicated positively on the vehicle.

In the rear driver's side door panel, officers found several bricks and plastic bags of marijuana and more of the drug was found in a panel above the passenger side wheel well, Scott said. Vazques-Herrera told police he drove carefully from Colorado to Decatur so as not to be stopped by police, Scott said.

A man who accompanied Vazques-Herrera from Colorado, Kufre I. Etuk, 25, pleaded guilty to a Class A misdemeanor, unlawful possession of marijuana, June 30 and was sentenced to 65 days in jail with credit given for that much time already served. He also had to pay a street value fine of $150.

Ron Ingram can be reached at ringram@herald-review.com or 421-7973.

Here's another article with no mention of illegal alien. A Mexican national and a guy likely Nigerian hauling drugs should get attention from Homeland Stupidity methinks. No more guests!

http://www.herald-review.com/article...ws/1016157.txt
Man pleads guilty to string of robberies in Decatur
By MARY TALLON - H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR - A 30-year-old man pleaded guilty on Friday to a string of robberies that began in November and ended with his arrest on March 24.

Michael Gonzales pleaded guilty to two counts of armed robbery, two counts of robbery in which no weapon was displayed and one count of aggravated robbery for implying he had a weapon during one of the robberies.

Gonzales was identified in sworn police statements by employees and witnesses as having committed the robberies of several local businesses, including a gas station and a video store.

Police had said there was a break in the robberies investigation when Gonzales left Decatur in December to travel to Puerto Rico, but the crimes resumed in March when Gonzales returned to the city for the birth of his child.

Associate Judge James Coryell scheduled a sentencing hearing for Aug. 1.

Gonzales could see especially lengthy prison time if the judge decides he should serve out his sentences for each offense consecutively rather than concurrently.

Each armed robbery count carries a sentence of six to 30 years in prison, each simple robbery count carries a sentence of three to seven years and the aggravated robbery count carries a sentence of four to 15 years.

Gonzales was previously convicted of burglary in New Jersey.

In another case, a 25-year-old man reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in a drug trafficking case.

Kufre I. Etuk and another man, Jorge Vazques-Herrera, were at a home in the 400 block of Carol Manor when Decatur police conducted a knock search warrant for cannabis. Police alleged bricks of cannabis were found in a duffle bag at the home during the search.

While at the scene, a police dog also detected the scent of drugs in a Ford Explorer parked outside the home and it was found to contain more than 12,000 grams of marijuana, police allege.

Etuk told police he was a passenger in the vehicle, which he and Vazques-Herrera had used to travel from Colorado to Decatur, but said the men drove straight through and did not remove any door panels or pick up any packages on the trip.

Etuk pleaded guilty to cannabis possession and was released with credit for 65 days served in the Macon County Jail and assessed $550 in fines.

A trial for Vazques-Herrera, 38, on a cannabis trafficking charge in connection with the same incident is scheduled for Wednesday.

Mary Tallon can be reached at mtallon@ herald-review.com or 421-7984.