WILLMAR -- A 31-year-old Olivia man was sentenced to nearly four years in prison Thursday after selling methamphetamine to CEE-VI Drug Task Force agents on two separate occasions.
Gerardo Lopez faced felony drug charges in two separate cases. He was charged with two second-degree controlled substance charges from an April incident and an attempted first-degree controlled substance charge from a June incident.
Lopez pleaded to two of the charges Oct. 31 -- one from each case -- amended second- and third-degree drug charges. Under the plea agreement, Lopez agreed to the presumptive sentence for both charges.
On Thursday, Judge Michael J. Thompson sentenced Lopez to 44 months in prison for the third-degree drug charge and 46 months for the second-degree charge. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning they will be served at the same time and not one after the other.
Along with the prison time, Thompson ordered Lopez to pay fines of $1,000 for each of the charges. Lopez was also given credit for 162 days already spent in jail.
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The second-degree drug charges were filed against Lopez after an April 25 controlled drug purchase, organized by the CEE-VI Drug Task Force. According to the complaint, CEE-VI agents and a confidential informant were able to purchase about 8 grams of meth from Lopez at a home along the 400 block of Minnesota Avenue Southeast. The confidential informant allegedly met Ryan Michael Aust, 30, of Benson at SuperAmerica before going to Lopez's home. Aust and the informant then drove to Lopez's home.
When Aust and the informant arrived at the home along Minnesota Avenue, Aust acted as a liaison between Lopez and the informant. According to the complaint, the informant gave Aust the money, Aust then met with Lopez before returning with the 8 grams of meth.
Aust is facing drug charges in Kandiyohi County and has also been convicted of a felony drug charge.
A first-degree drug charge was later filed against Lopez after a June 22 incident when CEE-VI agents along with a confidential informant set up a controlled purchase for a half-ounce of meth.
According to the complaint, the informant met Lopez at the SuperAmerica in Willmar before driving to an apartment along the 300 block of Third Street Southwest. After getting the money from the informant, Lopez went into the apartment. Shortly afterward, CEE-VI agents saw Lopez leave the apartment through a back door. He was apprehended by authorities still in possession of the money from the informant and a digital scale.
