Offender gets three years in sex case

Jail time reduced under plea deal

A Rio Rancho man charged with encouraging two 14-year-old girls to drink and then molesting one of them in 2013 has pleaded guilty.

Under a plea agreement in 13th Judicial District Court, Vicente Gallegos, now 39, pleaded guilty to criminal sexual penetration, a seconddegree felony, and giving alcohol to a minor, a fourthdegree felony.

In return, a third-degree felony charge of child abuse and fourth-degree felony charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor were dismissed, according to the agreement dated Jan. 20.

"I thought it was a good plea in this particular case,” said 13th Judicial District Attorney Lemuel Martinez.

Gallegos must serve at least three years in prison, stay on parole and supervised probation for a total of five years after his release, pay restitution and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, according to the agreement. He’s scheduled to turn himself in Feb. 17.

The charges he pleaded guilty to could have carried a prison sentence of up to 16½ years total, but 13½ years were suspended under the agreement.

If Gallegos violates the terms of his parole or probation, the state can ask for him to serve the remaining 13½ years in prison his current charges could carry, plus an extra year for habitual offender status, Martinez said. He said that arrangement gives Gallegos incentive to be a good citizen.

Gallegos was convicted of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in 2009, but the state won’t seek habitual offender status in the current case if he fulfills his obligations, according to the deal.

Gallegos’ attorney, Michael Davis, explained the sentence but had no other comment.