4-year sentence in 42-pound Aurora pot bust
A 34-year-old man was sentenced to four years in prison after Aurora police found 42 pounds of pot in his car last August.
Miguel R. Lopez-Ochoa, of the 4800 block of Hermitage Street, Chicago, pleaded guilty Wednesday to possession of more than 5,000 grams of marijuana, a felony that carried a prison term of four to 15 years, according to court records.
Kane County Judge Clint Hull approved the plea, in which prosecutors dismissed the more serious charge of possession with intent to deliver, a felony that carried a minium six-year prison term, records show.
Ochoa also was fined nearly $27,000 and he gets credit for 278 days spent at the Kane County jail while his case was pending.
Aurora police pulled him over Aug. 17, 2012, for several traffic violations and driving on a suspended license, an offense that triggers and automatic arrest and a vehicle search before it is towed. Police found more than 19,000 grams, which converts to more than 42 pounds.
Authorities estimated the drugs had a street value of about $191,000, according to court documents.