One of three men arrested last December in a fairly major drug case will spend the next 33-months in prison.
20-year-old Antonio Cordero had entered a plea to charges of possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana with intent to sell or distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to package, and two counts of no drug tax stamp.
He had argued in front of Judge Trish Rose for a non-prison sanction, but Deputy District Attorney Tom Stanton argued that because of the amount of drugs, which he estimated to have a street value of 30-thousand dollars or more, plus the fact that he had a gun shows that he should serve time in prison.
His attorney Terry Beal argued that he has a drug problem and needs help, but Trish Rose says the fact that he was still using marijuana while waiting sentencing is disturbing to her. She says she believed he was trying to do right by getting a job, but is also is concerned for the safety of the community. She agreed with the state that prison in the case is warranted.
18-year-old Patrocino Chacon had earlier entered a no contest pleas to possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to package a controlled substance, and two counts of no tax stamp. But, Judge Tim Chambers him community corrections after Cordero admitted the drugs were his.
The case starts on December 29th, of last year when a search warrant was served on a home at 901 South Main in South Hutchinson.
Officers say when they started to make entry into an apartment building behind the main residence, Chacon was seen running from the rear of the building wearing a blue shirt and a coat. When he was taken into custody, he no longer had the coat. Officers say his coat was found sitting on top of numerous bags of marijuana, powder cocaine, and crack cocaine, along with packaging materials. There was a smaller amount of marijuana found inside his jeans pocket.
They Reportedly found 8-ounces of powder cocaine in 14-individual bags and one bag containing a rock, or 6-ounces of crack cocaine, and then a half pound of marijuana in approximately 6- separate bags. They also allegedly found a 40-caliber handgun in the residence.