‘3rd Strike’ Lands Dealer Long Term
A Santa Ana man convicted of peddling $20 worth of heroin to an undercover informer was sentenced Monday to 25 years to life, a prison term mandated by California’s “three-strikes” law.
Gustavo Bustos Chavez, 25, sat impassively while Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Rackauckas Jr. turned away defense attempts to discount one of the previous felonies to effectively sidestep the stiff sentence.
“This is the guy [lawmakers] had in mind,” the judge said, adding that Chavez is “part of a plague in our county and state.”
Chavez had previous “strikes” for felony convictions for robbery and assault. California’s controversial “three-strikes” law mandates lengthy terms for repeat felons.
He was arrested during Operation Roundup, a massive September gang sweep that resulted in 115 grand jury indictments and hundreds of videotaped drug deals.
Defense attorney Frank Ospino argued Monday that Chavez should be sentenced to a shorter prison stay because he was “a minor player” in the drug network targeted by police.
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