Booking photo for Jose M. Trevino (Courtesy: Cache County Jail)
LOGAN — A 36-year-old Logan man with multiple convictions for theft and forgery has been sent to prison. Jose Mateo Trevino was ordered to serve zero to five years after being told he had run out of chances.
Trevino was sentenced in 1st District Court Monday morning. He had previously accepted another plea deal, pleading guilty to possession or use of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony.
Trevino’s criminal history dates back to October 2017, when he illegally possessed a firearm. It continued through May 2018, when he was arrested for scamming victims out of their money. He would agree to do construction projects on the victim’s homes or businesses. Then after collecting their payments, he wouldn’t finish the work and did not return calls when people started trying to track him down.
Court records show, in January 2019, Trevino was sentenced to serve one year in jail and then be placed on probation for three years. He was also ordered to complete a substance abuse assessment and all recommended counseling.
According to agents with Adult Probation and Parole, Trevino repeatedly failed to comply with probation agents and tried to flee the state. He also failed to appear for multiple court hearings, prompting several warrants to be filed for his arrest.
During Monday’s sentencing, defense attorney Michael McGinnis said Trevino had been dealing with a lot the past couple years. He claimed, drugs had put his client in a “tailspin” recently and asked the court for jail instead of prison.
Trevino acknowledged that he had made mistakes he wished he could change. He explained how during the last few months in jail, he had been able to begin treatment and also started finding religion.
Cache County Deputy Attorney Joshua Nemeth disagreed with McGinnis’ request for jail. He said the defendant had run out of opportunities, especially when considering the number of victims.
Judge Angela Fonnesbeck agreed that Trevino had suffered some significant events in his life recently. She said she she had to sentence the defendant to prison, noting how there was 15 pending cases because he had repeatedly failed to follow court orders.
will@cvradio.com