by Dustin Schutte
Pharos-Tribune
LOGANSPORT —
A Logansport woman on Tuesday was sentenced to 30 years in prison for dealing cocaine.
Judge Rick Maughmer handed the sentence to 35-year-old Maria Cabrera during a hearing Tuesday in Cass Superior Court II.
Cabrera had been convicted of the charge during a one-day trial last month. The jury deliberated less than 15 minutes before returning the verdict.
Deputy prosecutor James Ackerman said he was pleased with the sentence handed down by Maughmer.
“Trafficking cocaine will not be tolerated,” Ackerman said. “This sends a real message to the community.”
Ackerman originally proposed that Cabrera serve a 40-year term to “close the pipeline of drug trafficking into America,” but James Knight, the court-appointed attorney representing Cabrera, pushed for a 20-year prison sentence with 10 years’ probation, a sentence he said was adequate for the crime.
Maughmer split the difference, opting for a 30-year term.
After the hearing, Cabrera said she would appeal the court’s decision.
She was arrested in 2008 as a result of an investigation by the Cass County Drug Task Force involving several controlled buys. Sgt. Jim Klepinger said the buys ranged from 3.5 grams to 28.5 grams and totaled more than $6,000.
The investigation resulted in the arrests of five people, including Cabrera.
Since her arrest, Cabrera has spent 643 days in the Cass County Jail. With the time she has already served and credit for good behavior, Cabrera could be eligible for release in slightly more than
14 years.
• Dustin Schutte is a reporter for the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at dustin.schutte@pharostribune.com or (574)-732-5148.
