60-Year Sentence Stands For Aurora Man With 17 Pounds Of Heroin

AURORA, IL — Modesto Alarcon, a convicted Aurora drug dealer who was caught with nearly 20 pounds of heroin in 2014, could spend the rest of his life in prison, now that an appellate court upheld his 60-year sentence. Alarcon had challenged the 2016 sentence, alleging that the judge "abused his discretion," Daily Herald reports.

Alarcon was sentenced to 60 years in prison in February 2016, two months after he was convicted of possessing 17 pounds of heroin, a gun, and $84,000 cash. After the sentencing, Kane County State's Attorney Joseph McMahon emphasized that Alarcon was given the maximum sentence for his conviction.

Related: 17 Pounds Of Heroin: Aurora Man Gets 60 Years In Prison

The case went to an appeals court after Alarcon alleged that Kane County Judge D.J. Tegeler "abused his discretion" in an attempt to make a point about the dangers of heroin, according to Daily Herald. Alarcon's attorneys had pointed out that Tegeler handed down the maximum sentence despite the fact that the prosecution had sought a 45-year sentence.

According to Daily Herald, the appellate court decided Tuesday that Alarcon could not meet the burden to convince [the court] that no reasonable person could argue that a 60-year sentence is appropriate."

Image via Kane County State's Attorney's Office

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