A California man has been sentenced to 10 years in a federal prison for selling methamphetamine. The 38-year-old Riverside County resident learned of his fate on Dec. 23 in a San Diego district court. He entered a guilty plea to a single count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in August as part of a plea agreement he negotiated with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California. He could have been sentenced to life in prison if he had been convicted after a jury trial.
Criminal conviction may result in deportation
The federal government may downgrade an immigrant's status if they have been convicted of a felony. However, this will depend on the type of felony and the facts of the case. Non-citizens who are convicted of crimes of moral turpitude or aggravated felonies in California may be deported and prohibited from reentering the country. The term aggravated felony, in the context of immigration, may include some crimes that are usually considered misdemeanors.
