The alleged gunman in the Jesus Avila murder case from 2017 will now spend more than 50 years in prison.
During a sentencing hearing in Lyon County District Court Wednesday, Samuel Garcia was sentenced to 620 months by Chief Judge Jeffry Larson. Garcia was sentenced on single counts of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery all of which he pleaded no contest to and was found guilty of back in June.
Garcia originally faced 11 total counts in the case.
In addition to his sentence Wednesday, Garcia is currently serving a separate sentence related to an aggravated kidnapping case dating back to November of 2017. Those sentences will run concurrently.
Garcia has also been ordered to pay more than $20,000 in restitution to the Avila family.
As part of Wednesday’s hearing, defense counsel submitted a request for departure, citing several basis including Garcia’s age at the time of the murder and “acceptance of responsibility” among other factors. Ultimately, Judge Larson noted that while he found some factors to be “substantial” they were not compelling to warrant the departure which he ultimately denied.
Following adjournment, an outburst led to Garcia having to be forcibly removed from the courtroom.
Garcia was named as the gunman who shot and killed Avila nearly six years ago by his co-defendants as part of early court proceedings. Garcia, Alan Alanis, Jordy Cornejo-Campoverde, Andrew Granado, Armando Nunez and Jovan Pecina allegedly communicated with each other to kill Avila before Garcia allegedly shot Avila.
Aside from Nunez, who is serving a nearly four-year sentence on lesser charges, the remaining defendants are then accused of conspiring to take money, a speaker and assault rifle from Avila’s car, burn Avila’s body and dispose of the pistol that was allegedly part of the incident in September 2017. Upcoming hearing dates for the remaining defendants are as follows:
*Thursday, 11 am: Review hearing for Jordy Cornejo-Campoverde
*Aug. 21, 9 am: Plea hearing for Jovan Pecina
*Aug. 21, 10 am: Plea hearing for Andrew Granado
*Aug. 21, 10:30 am: Plea hearing for Alan Alanis
