• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Texas man sentenced to 24 years in prison for distributing weed

O

Oersted

Member
A 56-year-old Texas man will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars for selling marijuana in a case that highlights the severity of the mandatory-minimum drug sentencing laws that are making a comeback under the Trump administration.

David Lopez was sentenced June 2 to more than 24 years in federal prison after he was convicted on drug conspiracy and possession charges. Federal prosecutors say Lopez had been shipping weed from El Paso to cities in the U.S. from 2001 until August 2015, and he was linked to busts in Texas, New Mexico, and Kansas where police seized over 3,300 kilos of pot. Lopez owned several trucking companies, and he was nabbed after he tried to hire a DEA informant and an undercover officer to transport marijuana for him.
Click to expand...

More here


https://news.vice.com/story/texas-man-sentenced-to-24-years-in-prison-for-selling-weed

Lock if old
 
Velcro Fly

Velcro Fly

Member
Not that 24 years is in any way appropriate, but I entered this thread thinking it was a local neighborhood dopeman that got hit like this. This sounds like a sophisticated operation he had going.
 
A

Admiral Woofington

Member
edit: not the best example to let my rage out considering the degree of the amount he sold. But point still stands it's a dumb fucking law only kept because of no fucking reason to let the DEA continue to operate.
 
M

McDougles

Member
Guy runs massive illegal operation, goes to jail for 10 more years than the length of his operation.

Film at 11.
 
RPGCrazied

RPGCrazied

Member
I just find it really sad that in some states you can legally sell it and smoke it, in others you get life behind bars. Makes no fucking sense.
 
V

Verelios

Member
Wow, realistically speaking, at that point in your life I wonder which alternative is better. Hope he gets parole so he doesn't die in there.
 
rackham

rackham

Banned
The thread title is bullshit. He tried to bribe an officer and dea agent. Those are huge issues. I like weed but this thread title is stupid.
On top of that. This is for 15 years of offenses. He sounds like a drug king pin. Not a small time dealer.
 
V

Vixdean

Member
Admiral Woofington said:
Might as well do other fucking crimes if you're going to spend the rest of your life in jail. What the fuck is the argument here for this barbaric fucking law.

It's a god damn plant people smoke and laugh at everything. Fuck you Republicans. A sincere fuck you.
Click to expand...

Uh, this dude was shipping thousands of kilos over an international border for at least 15 years. It's very likely he has committed other crimes, probably violent ones, during that time period. Like someone else said, this wasn't your corner dealer slinging dime bags.
 
S

Snwaters

Member
While I agree that we need to reevaluate our drug sentencing laws, this guy wasn't a corner dealer. Sounds like he was a major drug runner/kingpin who shipped a lot of narcotics nation wide.
 
5

5taquitos

Member
This is hardly a corner dealer. I support full legalization as much as the next guy, but this was clearly a massive operation.
 
O

old manatee

Banned
Vixdean said:
Uh, this dude was shipping thousands of kilos over an international border for at least 15 years. It's very likely he has committed other crimes, probably violent ones, during that time period. Like someone else said, this wasn't your corner dealer slinging dime bags.
Click to expand...


Just making shit up.
 
F

Frozenprince

Banned
Fenderputty said:
Dude shipped 1000's of kilos across state lines. This isn't your corner dealer.
Click to expand...

Yeah this. I'm the staunchest opponent of the laws which criminalize weed as anybody, but dude had a smuggling operation going worth a shitload of money and logistics.

He's lucky he only caught 24 years. It's stupid he's in though.
 
A

Admiral Woofington

Member
Vixdean said:
Uh, this dude was shipping thousands of kilos over an international border for at least 15 years. It's very likely he has committed other crimes, probably violent ones, during that time period. Like someone else said, this wasn't your corner dealer slinging dime bags.
Click to expand...

He was charged only for dealing dope not for other possible crimes. They wanted to make an example out of him. And fine, this guy possibly did other things. Not the example to get angry about on my part. What about the harsh sentences others have experienced for selling dope in the streets?
 
C

Coolluck

Member
Vixdean said:
Uh, this dude was shipping thousands of kilos over an international border for at least 15 years. It's very likely he has committed other crimes, probably violent ones, during that time period. Like someone else said, this wasn't your corner dealer slinging dime bags.
Click to expand...

What international border? It was being shipped from El Paso.
 
F

Frozenprince

Banned
Admiral Woofington said:
He was charged only for dealing dope not for other possible crimes. They wanted to make an example out of him. And fine, this guy possibly did other things. Not the example to get angry about on my part. What about the harsh sentences others have experienced for selling dope in the streets?
Click to expand...

I've got a friend doing a dime for selling less weed total than this dude probably sold in 45 seconds.

The laws b fucked.
 
D

DocSeuss

Member
Vixdean said:
It's not exactly a leap of logic to assume a career criminal committed criminal acts. We're talking millions of dollars here, let's not pretend the illegal drug trade is all sunshine and lollipops.
Click to expand...

Right, it might not be a leap of logic to assume that, but, y'know, you can't assume. That's not how the justice system is set up. We can't charge people for crimes we don't have evidence for. We can't speculate.

Heck, I knew some people who were put in jail because of some serious accusations. The court eventually threw out the case with prejudice. Those people's lives were ruined because they were accused of crimes, and people assumed that anyone who was accused of those crimes would ALSO have committed other crimes. Even though they weren't even guilty of what they'd been accused of. So, y'know, don't do it. Makes you an awful person.
 
W

witness

Member
rackham said:
The thread title is bullshit. He tried to bribe an officer and dea agent. Those are huge issues. I like weed but this thread title is stupid.
On top of that. This is for 15 years of offenses. He sounds like a drug king pin. Not a small time dealer.
Click to expand...

Yeah, thread title is really misleading.
 
S

Septimus Prime

Member
Coolluck said:
What international border? It was being shipped from El Paso.
Click to expand...
893208.jpg
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Weed shouldn't be illegal.

But considering it is illegal... this guy's obviously living that big time criminal life.
 
T

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
rackham said:
The thread title is bullshit. He tried to bribe an officer and dea agent.
Click to expand...

Which wouldn't have been necessary in a sane society.
He was also probably dodging taxes but I don't care because he shouldn't have to hide his income.
The IRS already told him in so many words that they don't want his money.
 
J

Jobbs

Banned
The Exploder said:
According to Vixdean he also probably committed violent crimes. He could be the Ted Bundy of weed for all we know.
Click to expand...

well, if he went to prison for committing violent crimes I would have nodded along and probably not even clicked the thread. But going to prison for selling weed is dumb
 
F

Fenderputty

Banned
Beartruck said:
Pretty much yeah. 24 years sounds perfectly acceptable for the level he was running things.
Click to expand...

24 years may be too much if he did nothing violent. Especially since this guys gig exists specifically because of a law I disagree with.

Still ... this isnt the poster child for those disproportionately negatively affected by said law. If anyone deserves time it's those higher up the crime chain
 
V

Vixdean

Member
DocSeuss said:
Right, it might not be a leap of logic to assume that, but, y'know, you can't assume. That's not how the justice system is set up. We can't charge people for crimes we don't have evidence for. We can't speculate.

Heck, I knew some people who were put in jail because of some serious accusations. The court eventually threw out the case with prejudice. Those people's lives were ruined because they were accused of crimes, and people assumed that anyone who was accused of those crimes would ALSO have committed other crimes. Even though they weren't even guilty of what they'd been accused of. So, y'know, don't do it. Makes you an awful person.
Click to expand...

Right, but this guy was actually convicted. Criminal penalties for weed are overly harsh, but this isn't an example of that. This OP actually does a disservice to people who have been adversely affected by minimum mandatory sentences by lumping them with big time criminals.
 
C

ColdPizza

Banned
Vixdean said:
Uh, this dude was shipping thousands of kilos over an international border for at least 15 years. It's very likely he has committed other crimes, probably violent ones, during that time period. Like someone else said, this wasn't your corner dealer slinging dime bags.
Click to expand...

Funny, if you cared to read the article it explicitly stated that "Lopez, however, was not linked to any acts of violence."
 
H

Hazmat

Member
I was expecting to be outraged, but this guy was pretty big time. He likely made a lot of money over the years trafficking an illegal drug. I think it should be legal, but I can't really get worked up about this guy.
 
O

old manatee

Banned
Vixdean said:
Yeah? And Al Capone went to jail for tax evasion.
Click to expand...


I just realized that you are the poster from the Bill Maher thread who claimed that Dave Chappelle didn't get in trouble for the Pepe Le Pew joke he made 17 years ago because he was black. I'm not gonna argue with you anymore.
 
rackham

rackham

Banned
TAJ said:
Which wouldn't have been necessary in a sane society.
He was also probably dodging taxes but I don't care because he shouldn't have to hide his income.
The IRS already told him in so many words that they don't want his money.
Click to expand...
Oh come on man don't be stupid. You can get in huge trouble for selling cigs over state lines so why expect anything different for years worth of offenses on an illegal item?


My point is that the thread title does a disservice for everyone who is actually worried about marijuana offenses being unreasonable. It does a disservice by trying to make a drug king pin sound like a wholesome family dude. Nothing innocent about making that kind of money over 15 years. The thread title makes people who like weed look like fools.


I highly doubt that he would have received so many years if he wasn't making a shit load of money and if he didn't try to bribe federal agents to spy for him- something completely different from being a drug dealer
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

27-year-old man admits cancelling Nintendo Japan events by threatening to ‘kill everyone’ for ‘shitty games’
News 2
56
4K
SHA replied
Japanese YouTuber Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Sharing Gameplay and Anime Videos
Social Drama
36
4K
Northeastmonk replied
R. Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison
News
44
4K
StealthGoblin replied
The man who owes Nintendo $14m: Gary Bowser and gaming’s most infamous piracy case
2
85
7K
SHA replied
Joe Exotic resentenced to 21 years in prison for murder for hire plot against Carole Baskin
2
50
5K
Winter John replied
Top Bottom