Sergio Lizaola
A man found with a large amount of meth and a gun at a Hickory Valley Road apartment has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
Sergio Lizaola appeared before Judge Sandy Mattice.
Prosecutor Jay Woods said Lizaola had a lengthy criminal record and continued getting in more trouble after he was given new chances.
Lizaola said this was the longest he had ever been jailed. He has already served a year and 11 months.
Judge Mattice said, "It's a different ball game up here."
Cathy Alterman, attorney from Marietta, Ga., said Lizaola only had one felony conviction and the rest were misdemeanors.
He had originally been facing a much-longer term due to the fact his record puts him at the highest level in the category of crimes committed.
Lizaola suffered a serious head injury in a wreck in 2009 in which he was charged with DUI.
He was given a psychological test and it was found he could go forward with court proceedings.
On Feb. 2, 2016, law enforcement officers established surveillance at 1507 Hickory Valley Road, Building Q, in anticipation of executing a federal search warrant. At approximately 6:40 p.m., agents observed Lizaola and Amy Lee Ramos-Collazo arrive at the apartment building in a white Chevrolet Z-71 pickup truck. Two small children accompanied them.
Agents observed the pair enter apartment 136 of Building Q. At approximately 7:50 p.m., law enforcement executed the federal search.
The search resulted in the seizure of approximately 373.4 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine/ice from the apartment bathroom, a loaded .38 caliber revolver from the master bedroom closet, and cash from the living room couch and from the purse of Ms. Ramos-Collazo. The seized crystalline substance was field-tested and indicated positive for methamphetamine.