Cain Velasquez was sentenced to 5 years in jail on Monday after pleading no-contest to a wide range of costs together with tried homicide following his preliminary arrest again in 2022, in accordance with a number of reviews.
The sentencing brings to an finish a three-year lengthy saga after Velasquez was hit with quite a few costs together with premeditated tried homicide, felony assault and gun associated costs. Velasquez appeared in court docket alongside his household and his lawyer earlier than the sentence was handed down by Choose Arthur Bocanegra.
Prosecutors within the case had been searching for 30 years to life in jail whereas Velasquez’s protection attorneys sought probation and time served. Ultimately, Velasquez will get a five-year sentence behind bars.
Velasquez additionally will get credit score for time already served at 1283 days, which incorporates when he was already in jail in addition to time spent on home arrest. In consequence, Velasquez seemingly spends lower than two years behind bars.
The ordeal surrounding the previous UFC heavyweight champion began when he was first arrested in February 2022 after he went on an 11-mile excessive pace chase pursuing a automobile containing Harry Goularte, a person accused of molesting the fighter’s son at a daycare owned by his mom. Goularte faces separate costs of his personal for little one molestation however after his arrest, he was launched on bond in opposition to the recommendation of the prosecution.
That led to the high-speed automobile chase the place Velasquez fired a number of rounds from a .40-caliber handgun on the car containing Goularte however finally a bullet struck his stepfather Paul Bender within the arm. He sustained non-life threatening accidents because of this.
When the automobile chase ended, Velasquez was arrested with out incident by the Morgan Hill Police Division and he was hit with a mess of costs that stored him behind bars for the subsequent eight months earlier than he was ultimately granted bail.
The district lawyer additionally acknowledged that “a search of the suspect’s cellphone discovered searches for ‘sexual assault case the place victims household fights again’ and ‘sexual assault instances the place victims household retaliates.’”
In a memorandum filed previous to the sentencing, Deputy District Lawyer Aaron French detailed why Velasquez ought to obtain a stiff penalty for his crimes.
“The defendant’s crime is extreme,” French wrote. “Justice calls for a sentence that’s equally extreme. To carry the defendant accountable for his reckless and harmful actions and the lasting bodily and psychological accidents he left upon the victims and the neighborhood, the court docket ought to impose a sentence of 30 years to life in jail.”
Velasquez remained out on bail whereas initially awaiting trial earlier than putting a take care of the district lawyer’s workplace to plead no-contest, which took the premeditated tried homicide cost off the desk. That cost may have ended with a life sentence for Velasquez if he was discovered responsible.
Since his launch, Velasquez returned to teaching MMA in addition to making appearances as knowledgeable wrestler whereas awaiting the date for his sentencing. There have been a number of delays earlier than Velasquez lastly appeared in court docket on Monday to listen to his punishment.
Following his preliminary arrest, quite a few members of the MMA neighborhood spoke out in assist of Velasquez together with his shut good friend and UFC Corridor of Famer Daniel Cormier. UFC CEO Dana White even wrote a letter of assist for Velasquez when he was nonetheless behind bars after his bail was initially denied.
Now the previous UFC heavyweight champion prepares to go to jail after his sentencing, though his precise time there’s anticipated to be far lower than 5 years.
