Sentencing for a Chula Vista man who pleaded guilty to transporting counterfeit pain pills that were recovered in a traffic stop was delayed Monday to Feb. 16.
Attorney Jan Ronis asked Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Michael Popkins if he could order that Michael Daniel Gomez, 23, be pre-screened for a program that he could be sentenced to complete instead of spending time in jail.
Popkins ordered that Gomez be pre-screened for the program to see if he qualifies for it. Gomez remains free on bond.
Gomez was arrested Oct. 2, 2019, by the sheriff’s Border Crime Suppression Team after Gomez’s vehicle was stopped at 2:35 p.m. near the intersection of East L Street and Telegraph Canyon Road in Chula Vista.
A sheriff’s canine indicated to the presence of narcotics and a search was conducted that led to the discovery of 570 counterfeit Oxycodone Hydrochloride pills. Several grams of cocaine were also found.
An additional search at Gomez’s home on Claire Avenue recovered more counterfeit Oxycodone pills and an ounce of cocaine, according to the sheriff’s department. The street value of the drugs was estimated by the sheriff’s department at $7,500.
Ronis told the judge Gomez is in his fourth semester virtually at San Francisco State University in online classes. He said that he wanted any time imposed in custody or in a program to occur in the summer between classes. The prosecutor did not object to the delay.
