A La Crosse man was given a long prison term after being convicted of selling methamphetamine to an undercover police informant. The 30-year-old man attempted to flee the scene at the time law enforcement officers were waiting for a search warrant. Police reports state that he threw a gun in a yard, which police later recovered.

The police say they found approximately 11 bags of meth that hold a value of approximately $600. Other items they seized included eight prescription pills and the cash the police department used as part of the sting operation. He entered a plea of guilty to distributing methamphetamine drugs and to possession of a firearm by a felon. The judge sentenced him to 6 1/2 years in prison and three years of supervised probation upon his release. The judge cited previous convictions as the reason for the long sentence.

Previous convictions for the La Crosse man include second-degree sexual assault, drug distribution and possession of a firearm. An assistant U.S. attorney told the court that the man deserved a lengthy prison sentence. However, the judge gave him less than the sentence that the prosecutor was asking for.

A guilty plea in such cases could have been the best option for this man. A criminal defense attorney might have been beneficial to him by asking for a reduced sentence based on the guilty plea. The prosecutor in the case asked for an eight-year prison term, but the man received a shorter sentence. In cases involving drug charges, sometimes arranging for voluntary treatment for substance abuse helps the defendant get a shorter sentence.

Source: LaCrosse Tribune, “La Crosse man gets prison for meth sales”, Kevin Murphy, November 14, 2013