CDobleta's lawyer seeks 27-year sentence in federal drug and gun case
The urban music artist's defense argues for the lower end of the plea deal while federal prosecutors are asking for 32 years in a case tied to the 2024 killing of a police sergeant.
File photoThe short version
- CDobleta's attorney filed a response opposing the federal prosecutors' request for 32 years and asking for the 27-year minimum in the plea agreement
- The defense cites the defendant's age of 21, alleged immaturity and shorter involvement in the gang compared with adult co-defendants
- Federal prosecutors recommended 32 years for CDobleta, 34 years for gang leader Víctor Pérez Fernández and between 28 and 30 years and four months for the other three defendants
- Sentencing for the gang leader is scheduled for Tuesday while the other four, including CDobleta, were rescheduled to Friday
Sentencing dispute
The attorney for urban music performer CDobleta, whose legal name is Luis Nomar Isaac Sánchez, asked a federal judge to sentence his client to 27 years in prison, the lower term contemplated in his plea agreement. Primera Hora reported The filing came in response to a sentencing memorandum filed Friday by federal prosecutors seeking the maximum 32 years allowed under the agreement.
Defense lawyer Francisco Rebollo Casalduc argued that the 27-year recommendation is “sufficient but not greater than necessary,” citing the defendant's youth, alleged immaturity and shorter period of involvement in criminal activity compared with older co-defendants. He stated that the plea deal already reflects greater severity than a straight guilty plea would have produced. The lawyer also contended that federal prosecutors presented contradictory arguments that breach the plea agreement, according to the filing described by Primera Hora.
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Prosecutors' position
Federal prosecutors recommended 384 months in prison for Isaac Sánchez, arguing that he owned a drug-selling point, set prices, gave instructions to other members, called meetings and possessed firearms in support of the narcotics organization. El Nuevo Día reported The memorandum was signed by U.S. Attorney Laura Díaz González.
The case stems from the early-morning killing of Puerto Rico Police Sergeant Eliezer Ramos Vélez on March 29, 2024, at the entrance to the Sabana Abajo public housing development in Carolina. The defendants admitted they believed the victim was a member of a rival gang. The group had faced possible death penalty charges before reaching plea deals that dropped six counts, including a firearms murder count, leaving conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of an automatic weapon to promote a drug crime.
Court schedule
U.S. District Judge María Antongiorgi Jordán in Hato Rey postponed the sentencing hearing originally set for Wednesday for four defendants—CDobleta, Andyel González Sáez, Olvin O’Neill Concepción Tapia and Daniel López Vega—to Friday so she could prepare. Víctor Pérez Fernández, identified as the leader of the group, is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday, both outlets reported. Isaac Sánchez pleaded guilty on June 11.
Prosecutors also asked for 34 years for Pérez Fernández, 28 years each for González Sáez and López Vega, and 30 years and four months for Concepción Tapia. The judge will have the final say after considering the plea agreements, the parties' arguments and applicable sentencing factors.
Where the sources differ
Both Primera Hora and El Nuevo Día agree on the 27-year request by the defense and the 32-year request by prosecutors for CDobleta, the June 11 guilty plea, the March 29 2024 killing of Sgt. Eliezer Ramos Vélez in Carolina, the nature of the remaining charges, the original death-penalty exposure, and the rescheduling of the four sentencings to Friday with the leader's on Tuesday. El Nuevo Día provides more detail on the prosecutors' description of CDobleta's specific role in the organization and the exact breakdown of the 384-month recommendation into consecutive terms; Primera Hora focuses more on the defense arguments about immaturity, comparative involvement and alleged breach of the plea agreement.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state what sentence the judge is leaning toward, whether any defendants will speak at the hearings, the exact sentences that will be imposed on the co-defendants, or whether additional conditions such as supervised release or fines will be imposed. They also do not indicate when the judge will rule on the defense claim that prosecutors breached the plea agreement.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Abogado de CDobleta cuestiona la pena que reclama la Fiscalía federal
- Reporting Fiscalía federal pide 32 años de prisión para CDobleta por caso relacionado con asesinato de policía
How we checked this
Primera Hora and El Nuevo Día both covered the competing sentencing recommendations and the change in hearing dates. The defense arguments about youth and comparative culpability appear only in Primera Hora while the detailed description of the defendant's alleged leadership role is reported only by El Nuevo Día.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.