Illegal Immigrant Residing in Columbus Sentenced for Dealing Cocaine

Illegal Immigrant Residing in Columbus Sentenced for Dealing Cocaine

An illegal immigrant living in Columbus was sentenced Thursday to seven years in prison for dealing cocaine. 26 year-old Jonathan Galvan Lopez could be deported at the conclusion of his prison sentence, leaving behind his wife, as well as two children who were born in Bartholomew County, making them legal U.S. citizens. The sentence is the result of a plea bargain where prosecutors dropped two Class "A" felonies in exchange for Lopez pleading "Guilty" to one Class "B" felony.

Lopez testified that he became addicted to cocaine and became a seller of the drug in order to pay for his habit. According to our news gathering partners at "The Republic", Lopez testified that he was gainfully employed at a local factory since 2004 and didn't want to use any of that money, as it would take away from his family.

Bartholomew Circuit Court Judge Stephen Heimann called the case "tragic" because Lopez was fully employed and was able to support his family. He also noted that the family's home was sold to help pay for Lopez's legal fees. These seven year sentence Heimann handed down was actually three years less than the State of Indiana's advisory sentence. The judge noted that there were no aggravating factors in the case to warrant extended prison time. Heimann added that while Lopez was in the country illegally, it is not a factor that can be considered an aggravating factor under state law.