No contest plea made in heroin possession, By: Roman Gokhman
PLEASANTON: Discovery Bay man sentenced to 16 months in state prison but has already served the time
09/12/2007
A Discovery Bay man who was previously accused by police of selling animal steroids disguised as human steroids to people near Tri-Valley fitness clubs pleaded no contest Tuesday to one count of possession of heroin with the intent to sell.
As part of a plea deal with prosecutors, Larry Brady, 50, will be sentenced to 16 months in state prison. But he won't have to serve any of that time, attorneys said, because of time he already has served in Alameda County jail facilities on probation violation charges.
Deputy district attorney Ronda Theisen said the sentence, called a "paper commitment," keeps the threat of jail time hanging over Brady should he violate his probation again. It also saves the courts time and money.
"If he continues to deal drugs or steroids, we don't have to go through the time or expense of a jury trial; he can just be sentenced by way of a probation violation," she said.
Prosecutors were also willing to take the deal because Brady has another active case in Contra Costa County and remains in custody for that.
Brady was arrested May 17 in Pleasanton on a warrant by Alameda County sheriff's investigators. Inside his car, they discovered several kinds of animal and human steroids, Theisen said. Sheriff's investigators said at the time of the arrest that Brady had been known to hang out around fitness clubs in the Tri-Valley and Contra Costa County to sell steroids.
According to the sheriff's office and court records, Brady has a record of drug crimes and at least five felony convictions.
As part of the plea deal, Brady will have to forfeit $1,208 that was recovered from him during his arrest. He was released on his own recognizance after the hearing and is scheduled to be formally sentenced Nov. 9 in Hayward.
After being released, Brady was to have been taken to the Contra Costa County jail, where he will remain in custody. After Nov. 9, it is unclear whether he will remain in custody, Theisen said. "If Contra Costa County wants more time for him, he may remain in custody," she said.
