Topeka man gets life in prison without parole for distribution of meth

[Maru Kitteh]

Link: http://www.hutchnews.com/latestregionalnews/Topeka-man-gets-life-in-prison-for-meth-ring

Topeka man gets life in prison for meth ring
The Associated Press

TOPEKA - A Topeka man who led a ring that sold methamphetamine in parts of Kansas has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says 27-year-old Alfonso Rubio-Ayala of Topeka was sentenced Monday. He pleaded guilty in November to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Rubio-Ayala admitted that he and another man led a drug ring that sold methamphetamine from Mexico through Arizona to Great Bend, Topeka and Kansas City, Kan. Drug agents seized more than $690,000 in cash, 10 pounds of meth, weapons and vehicles at drug houses in the three Kansas cities.

[dionysus]

1. life is maybe too harsh, but he should be put away for a long time.

[notesdev]

2. Life for one count?

Was this guy really worse than murderers and child rapists?

[dionysus]

4. heading up a meth ring has a high likelyhood of ruining many people lives,

so it's not the same but it's up there.

some guy selling weed? not so much...

[phleshdef]

41. Yea, but the tax payers shouldn't have to support life prison sentences for drug offenses.

[dionysus]

42. life is too harsh but i think he needs to do some time.

[LynneSin]

12. 10lbs of Meth - I think the sentence was pretty lenient if you ask me

That's alot of Meth and alot of lives that could be ruined.

[EOTE]

17. Lenient?

Isn't that the maximum possible penalty for a crime not involving the death of another? I know meth is awful and it's probably an appropriate sentence, but I don't see how life in jail could be lenient for anything.

[LynneSin]

20. figuratively speaking

:D

[mkultra]

28. considering the children he has left blowing in the wind

for every broken home he created, yes, lenient, regardless of penalty ranges. If there is any chance of parole, im unhappy.

[superduperfarleft]

31. When will you be calling for us to lockup the CEO of Anheuser Busch?

http://consumerist.com/2010/11/study-alcohol-more-dangerous-for-society-than-heroin-crack-meth-other-fun-stuff.html

[mkultra]

44. why do you hate children?

alcohol is only more dangerous because of its proliferation. If Meth were legal, and thus more prolific, those numbers would be severely different. Its potency and potential for damage is FAR greater than alcohol which is why its is illegal and liquor isn't.

Adding a legal drug to a study of illegal drugs will surely skew the results.

[superduperfarleft]

47. Because they lack perspective. n/t

[mkultra]

49. they still deserve to be protected.

[superduperfarleft]

50. My snarky one-liners evidently must also be protected from your edits.

But I guess you'll be calling on prohibition of alcohol now, because, as you state, the only reason it's considered more damaging according to that study is because it's widely available.

Regardless, I can't really tell where you're going with this. Is this just more tough-guy law-and-order posturing or did I see you attempt a "won't someone think of the children" talking point?

[mkultra]

52. actually, the point should be clear to you

Let me try and spell it out. Ill type really slow. If Meth, crack, or cocaine were legal, they would far more widely used. If then placed in the same study, they wouldn't just outstrip alcohol, they would SEVERELY outstrip it. The addictive qualities of these substances are far greater than alcohol. The odds of someone starting up on those and destroying their lives and those of their families is far greater than someone who starts drinking with friends.

These things are not like weed or Liquor, they are hardcore. If you think these drugs are in the same boat with weed and liquor you are just stupid.

[superduperfarleft]

54. .

.

[EOTE]

34. So you'd suggest death, then? NT

[mkultra]

45. life without parole

[Brickbat]

3. You know, goddamn the pusher man and all that, but life in prison is way too harsh, IMO.

[Maru Kitteh]

6. I myself would like to see way more about this case before I could decide if I thought it was

appropriate. I personally knew an ex-relative who kept a harem of vulnerable 15-20 year old girls (runaways and poor kids) around to drive his drugs over the border and around the country. He would use them until they had his, or one of the "shop" worker's babies or until they ended up with VD so bad they were no fun anymore.

I drove across two states one afternoon to drop anonymous letters in the mail to the ATF, local and state law agencies and the FBI.

I'd have liked to see him get life without parole, but all he got was a few years.

[rko_24550]

35. +1

[Scruffy1]

5. Unfortunate he didn't change his name and complexion

[Drale]

7. Life in prison is to harsh

but Meth is one of those drugs that does alot of hard to society. And people who make and distribute it are vultures and should be punished.

[madokie]

8. Having known several people hooked and ultimately die fron/on meth

I can't seem to find any sympathy for the likes of this man.
Hey I'm an old hippie who has done it all but never did like the high from crank, an old hippie who has seen many of his friends die from the shit. I thank my lucky stars every time I'm reminded of crank and what it does to people for my not liking it. Oh thank you lucky star, thank you so much

[w8liftinglady]

16. I see meth heads both at work and in the neighborhood

It is an awful disease with horrible consequences.
It's not benign or natural.
the reuse rate of addicts is sky-high.
I say in this instance it is an effective deterrant.
i just wish the therapy was there for the addicts.

[madokie]

56. Out of the people I've known that uses the stuff

only a few have gotten away from it. I can count on one hand those but it would take both hands and both feet to count the ones who are six feet under now largely brought on by their addiction to meth/crank.
I don't hate much in life and never did until bush the lesser hit the scene but since then I've grown to hate crank too. It destroys people, families and neighborhoods.
:hi:

[WhiteTara]

9. Meth is the scourge of the earth

and although it sounds cruel; Good. I have seen entire small towns addicted and ruined. Recovery from meth addiction is about 20%...that means only 2 out of 10 will survive. THe end result for most meth addicts is death or prison. This is a soul destroying drug that hollows out the human and leaves nothing but a pustule covered, toothless zombie.

"Rubio-Ayala admitted that he and another man led a drug ring that sold methamphetamine from Mexico through Arizona to Great Bend, Topeka and Kansas City, Kan."

[superduperfarleft]

10. To all the people applauding this, what does it accomplish?

Do you really think there won't be a dozen people looking to take his place? Or is it less about harm reduction and more about punishment?

I'm pretty sure I already know the answer, but you know what they say about assuming things.

[Maru Kitteh]

14. What good does it do to lock up murderers or wall-street traders?

Do murders end?

Do bankers and traders become honest? Why lock anybody up, ever?

[superduperfarleft]

21. Well, the idea is to rehabilitate murderers, or at least keep those that can't be rehabilitated

away from the general public.

This guy is operating on greed, not on a desire to harm people. I saw nothing in the article indicating that he was being charged with violence, just with conspiracy. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve time (although I wonder about the logic in locking up meth dealers but leaving the alcohol manufacturers alone, since alcohol causes far more widespread damage), but life without parole is a bit overkill, to say the least.

[Maru Kitteh]

26. Well, there you go assuming things, lol!

You *know* this guy didn't want to harm people exactly how? See, I find it quite a stretch (incredulous even) to believe that any meth dealer of this kind of scale has never hurt people, or operates without the desire to hurt people.

[superduperfarleft]

27. I'm talking about what was proven in court, not what you're assuming he did.

You're welcome to post evidence that he did any of those other things, because I'm sure the jury would've liked to hear it. But do you really believe that people deserve to be put away for life without parole for simply dealing illegal drugs?

Again, I ask, isn't the point of prison to rehabilitate people (despite how punitive and obsessed with vengeance for vengeance's sake our society has become)?

edit: and most drug dealers operate on a desire to make money, not to hurt people for the hell of it.

[Maru Kitteh]

32. Nice try, but your own statement stands against you. You made (and continue to make) unqualified

assumptions after admonishing others against the same. I find that amusing.

[superduperfarleft]

33. What I find amusing is that I originally posted that I didn't want to assume anything,

so I decided to go by the evidence presented in the article, nothing more. Yet, here you are, accusing him of all sorts of things, without any evidence whatsoever, and yet you're accusing ME of making unfounded assumptions.

I asked a simple question, which you chose not to answer. That's fine, but this little logic pretzel you're twisting yourself into isn't nearly as clever as you think it is.

[Maru Kitteh]

38. Yes, you said you didn't want to assume anything - but then you promptly did just that.

You - "This guy is operating on greed, not on a desire to harm people."

See, that's an unqualified assumption. You claim to know his motivation but it's based on nothing more than your opinion.

[superduperfarleft]

40. Have fun with that. This has gotten old. n/t

[Renew Deal]

24. The good thing is he won't be able to poison any more people.

And why shouldn't the punishment be severe? But I do think life in prison at 27 seems excessive. Though the damage he did to peoples lives is permanent too.

[superduperfarleft]

25. So you don't think there's any chance to rehabilitate a 27-year-old drug dealer?

"And why shouldn't the punishment be severe?"
Because the point of prison should be rehabilitation, not punishment. And if an inmate is too violent and/or anti-social to be rehabilitated, it's about protecting the public from them. I don't think a meth dealer would fall into that category.

"Though the damage he did to peoples lives is permanent too."
See my above post regarding the logic behind locking up meth dealers but allowing the alcohol industry to rake in billions every year marketing a product that has shown to have far more devastating consequences to a society.

[Renew Deal]

36. You forgot to quote this part:

"But I do think life in prison at 27 seems excessive."

[superduperfarleft]

37. You're right, I read too fast. My apologies. n/t

[mkultra]

29. Its about prevention

Anyone that possesses the will and capability to do that much harm doesn't deserve another chance to do damage. stopping HIM from doing it again protects people.

[superduperfarleft]

30. Why dont we just execute him then, since we're just giving in to kneejerk drug war fearmongering? nt

[mkultra]

43. yeah, meth is a real threat.

And running a meth ring is serious

[superduperfarleft]

48. I don't think anyone is disagreeing with that.

In case you missed it, what's being discussed is whether it's appropriate to give someone a life sentence without the possibility of parole for it.

[Blue_Tires]

11. am I the only one who read "distribution of wealth?"

lolz

[Statistical]

13. Why would you take a plea deal for life in prison (especially w/o parole)

I mean unless KS has a capital charge for distribution of meth the worst thing he could have gotten with a conviction and max sentence would be ..... DRUMROLL .... life in prison without possibility of parole.

Something isn't adding up.

[Maru Kitteh]

15. The only thing I can think of

Perhaps it was to avoid being housed in some other state where no family would be likely to visit? I don't know.

[Stevenmarc]

59. Really?

This is why Google is our friend.

He was also trafficking guns back to Mexico and they aren't looking too kindly on that these days, so faced with life in a USA prison or dealing with the Mexican justice system what do you think would be the better choice?

[Greybnk48]

18. If he was a CEO or Radio screamer, he'd be good to go.

No crime is too big for the likes of these people. But a poor man's crime gets the book thrown at it.

[Maru Kitteh]

19. I'm not sure how poor he was. $690,000 plus vehichles, homes and weapons.

Sounds like he was doing OK in the cash flow department.

[Renew Deal]

23. A "poor mans crime"

that is quite profitable while poisoning the masses.

[Renew Deal]

22. Meth is bad news, but life seems excessive.

Why not 25 years? Isn't that long enough?

[May Hamm]

39. I don't understand this

He traded a guilty plea for the harshest possible sentence and by admitting his guilt he loses the opportunity to appeal. That doesn't make sense. Something is missing. Right now I haven't found more information but I intend to keep looking.

[WinkyDink]

46. While Cheney and Dubya walk free.

[Iggo]

51. Legalize.

[Maru Kitteh]

55. Legalize meth dealing? I don't think so.

I don't think a single civilized country in the world will do that.

[devilgrrl]

53. Shouldn't the producers of Phen Phen, and other prescribed drug that kill get life?

You think they would.

[davidpdx]

57. I watched someone die from drugs

It isn't something I'd wish on anyone. The person was 17 and she was my ex-wife's niece. While I'm not a tough on crime person (I've voted against every measure in Oregon for the past 20 years), my question would be did someone die as a result of this? Personally I don't know, but I did find two things:

A list of the proceedings:

http://www.freecourtdockets.com/Dockets/USA-v-Molina-5-09-cr-40041-Kansas-Federal-District-Court-Docket-Page-1-16874-16874.htm

A list of the charges:

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oGdU9uEkBNSxIAnDFXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByYzByMHM1BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDOARjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkAw--/SIG=13fm6phk4/EXP=1296073454/**http%3a//www.kansas.gov/kbi/docs/media%2520releases/White%2520Pistol%2520news%2520release.pdf

So there were actually 49 charges against him and they appear to be Federal charges, which are more serious.

[Stevenmarc]

58. Huge case, 10lbs of meth, 30 weapons, 15 law enforcement agencies involved....

obviously this blurb of a OP doesn't even scratch the surface of the whole story but it appears it's easier for some to kneejerk an opinion rather than do a rudimentary Google search to see that there's a whole lot more to the story than some guy getting life for one count.

[Nevernose]

60. Topeka is safe at last!

I'm sure that, after this conviction, I won't be able to spend 15 minutes in any part of that town and score some meth.

Meth ruins lives and families -- I've seen it happen up close and personal. But that's going to continue no matter how much we keep fighting Nixon's War on Drugs. Maybe its time for a different approach, one that takes the criminal element out of the picture.