Carson City father sent to prison for trafficking in meth

A Carson City father of three has been sentenced to six years in Nevada State Prison for trafficking in methamphetamine.

Jose M. Lopez, 31, faced up to 15 years in prison on the felony charge.

He was arrested in December for supplying 28 grams of methamphetamine for sale to an undercover Douglas County sheriff's deputy between Dec. 1-8.

He was ineligible for probation and will have to serve a minimum of two years before he is eligible for parole.

Speaking through an interpreter, Lopez's wife, Consuela, testified Monday she never saw her husband sell drugs from their Carson City home.

She said between her husband's salary and her own, they sent their families in Mexico $1,000-$2,000 every two months.

She held the couple's 2-month-old baby daughter as she testified. The couple's other two children also attended the sentencing.

After her husband is released, Consuela Lopez said, the family wants to return to Mexico.

Lawyer Kevin Walsh argued for the minimum sentence of two years, saying his client was very low on the drug delivery chain and a minor player in the transaction.

"It was clear he was not the big fish. I am not sure where you would find the big fish," Walsh said. "The main people involved never even touched the drug. He (Lopez) was using two or three times a week. This was an opportunity for him to obtain a quantity."

Lopez's co-defendant received probation, but that was because he provided assistance to law enforcement, according to prosecutor Derrick Lopez.

"I wanted to tell you to forgive me for the bad I have done," Lopez said through an interpreter. "I only got a little drugs for my own use. Please give me an opportunity for my children."

"Today, you are very concerned about your children," said District Judge Michael Gibbons. "I wonder if you would be as concerned about your children and other children using drugs. It's a poisonous substance. It hurts a lot of children."