A Chula Vista man who pleaded guilty to transporting counterfeit pain pills was sentenced Tuesday to 180 days of home detention with an ankle monitor.
Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Michael Popkins ordered Michael Daniel Gomez, 23, to report to the central jail on March 29 to install the device to his ankle.
Gomez was placed on two years probation and to the County Parole & Alternative Custody(CPAC), a group of programs administered by the sheriff’s department.
A statement on the department’s web site said the department recognizes the usefulness of re-entry. People charged with murder, manslaughter, sex offenses, kidnapping, and arson are banned from participating in any CPAC program.
Popkins said he received “glowing letters” from friends and family of Gomez, noting he had no prior record and was remorseful. Gomez was permitted to return to virtual college classes on his computer.
Deputy District Attorney Christina Eastman and the probation department recommended 270 days of home detention. With the outbreak of COVID-19, home detention is preferred over jail if possible with some crimes.
He received credit for two days previously spent in jail and was fined $370.
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 signaled 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.
Eastman said the pills were examined and tested positive for powdered fentanyl, which is a dangerous drug that is often used to make counterfeit pharmaceuticals.
An additional search at Gomez’s home 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.
Gomez’s attorney, Jan Ronis, told the judge Gomez is in his fourth semester virtually at San Francisco State University in online classes.
Gomez appeared remotely with Ronis at his law office and the prosecutor also was seen on a video screen. The courts are partially closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
