Pomona : Ferro Sentenced to 2 Years

Robert Ferro, an Upland man convicted of possessing plastic explosives, was sentenced to two years in state prison Tuesday. But in an unusual move, the judge set bail at $175,000 while Ferro appeals the conviction.

A reputed member of Alpha 66, a group dedicated to the overthrow of Cuban President Fidel Castro, the 47-year-old Ferro was accused of running a paramilitary camp on a Pomona chicken ranch, where authorities found five pounds of C-4, a putty-like explosive.

Ferro, who was convicted May 13, could have been sent to prison for seven years.

Pomona Superior Court Judge Robert Martinez cited Ferro’s lack of a criminal record and his family and community ties in imposing a lesser term. Martinez also said that if state law permitted, he would have given Ferro probation. The judge said he did not accept the government’s contention that the C-4 was intended to overthrow a foreign government.