Elgin man gets 30 years in prison for drugs, guns

A former Elgin man convicted of gun and drug charges in July was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison by a federal judge.

Joel Rivas, 35, was arrested in 2010 after local authorities raided a storage unit in Elgin and discovered more than five kilograms of cocaine as well as a large quantity of marijuana and two handguns.

At trial, federal prosecutors said Rivas and 36-year-old co-conspirator Ismael Miranda distributed large amounts of drugs throughout the region for more than three years starting in 2007. Miranda pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Rivas’ sentencing was due in part to his status as an “armed career criminal.” Under federal law, defendants face harsher sentencing based on previous convictions. Rivas has a lengthy criminal history dating back to the 1990s, authorities said. The judge also determined Rivas lied during his testimony at trial, prosecutors said.