Rawlins Man Busted With Drugs and Cash Sentenced to Probation

A man who was caught driving toward Laramie with over a pound of marijuana and more than $1,400 cash in his car was sentenced to a term of supervised probation Tuesday in Albany County District Court.

Miguel Hernandez, 22, was sentenced to three years supervised probation with an underlying three- to five-year prison term.

Judge Jeffrey Donnell also ordered Hernandez to pay a fine of $1,500, enroll in an outpatient treatment program within 30 days, begin a criminal thinking class within 60 days and complete 100 hours of community service within 15 months.

Hernandez was stopped for speeding on U.S. 287 northbound near mile post 414. The state trooper who stopped him was prepared to give Hernandez a ticket and let him go, but he smelled marijuana and searched the vehicle.

Court documents say the trooper found nearly 13 plastic bags containing nearly 17 ounces of marijuana in total, suspected THC strips, 6.4 grams of a "large white yet unknown substance," pills believed to be oxycontin, a marijuana pipe, $1,408 in varying denominations and two cell phones.

According to the affidavit, Hernandez told the trooper he was delivering the marijuana to a friend in Laramie.

Hernandez, a husband and father of two, was locked up after pleading guilty June 28 and has been incarcerated since.

"I would like to thank you for giving me time to reflect on my actions," Hernandez told Donnell on Tuesday. "It was a blessing in disguise."

And although he described the 70 days away from his family as "excruciating, to say the least," Hernandez said it was the first time he has been clean in "a very long time."

When Donnell asked Hernandez what he thought of his time in the county detention center, Hernandez replied, "I don't wish that upon anybody."

Defense attorney Candace Pisciotti asked for Hernandez to be given probation, citing a fairly minor criminal history centered around marijuana crimes.

"I do think he needs to address his marijuana addiction," Pisciotti added.

Prosecutor Kurt Britzius also requested supervised probation as called for in the presentence investigation report, saying he believes Hernandez will stay on the straight and narrow.

"I think the two months in jail has done him a world of good," Britzius told the court.

"You can do alright, Mr. Hernandez. You're certainly not stupid," said Donnell. "You have the ability to meet your obligations. I hope you grow up and do that."