A California man who said he turned to crime when he couldn't support his family by legitimate means was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison on Monday.
Francisco Reyes-Vizcarra's only previous criminal history was entering the country illegally, according to defense attorney Kristine Brown. His record revealed that he has been deported four times.
But on Nov. 10, 2009, the 31-year-old was arrested in the parking lot of a Stateline casino with 116 grams of methamphetamine stuck in a potato chip bag.
Brown told District Judge Michael Gibbons that Reyes-Vizcarra made an honest living as a landscaper and a laborer before the building market dried up.
"I did what I did to keep my family going, even though I knew it was wrong," Reyes-Vizcarra said through an interpreter.
Reyes-Vizcarra will be eligible for parole after 24 months in prison.
"You'll probably be released and then deported when those 24 months are up," Gibbons said. "If you return to the United States illegally, you'll likely go back to prison in Nevada and finish that sentence. Do not return to the U.S. without proper documentation."
