Luke Braziel, 49, appeared in person Monday afternoon with defense attorney Stephanie Stout for a sentencing hearing before Weld Judge Julie Hoskins.
Prosecutors from the Weld County District Attorney’s Office, Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Pirraglia and Deputy District Attorney Patrick Roche, used evidence from the investigation to convict Braziel on multiple drug felony charges. A jury found him guilty of 14 counts of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and two counts of distribution of a controlled substance.
Pirraglia pointed out the major difference between someone who uses and someone who deals, and the clear distinction points to Braziel’s role as a dealer who profits off of victims with “no shame” about the business he was conducting. In this case, the prosecutors said testimony showed Braziel was dealing at least 14 pounds of meth in less than a month.
Pirraglia also talked about issues with truth in sentencing, including that many individuals with similar convictions to Braziel rarely serve a third of their sentences. To show that Braziel has knowledge about this fact, prosecutors incorporated audio of a phone call he made from prison into the argument, where he says, “If they give me 20, I would only do 6.”
Thank goodness.