Pocatello man fined for misdemeanor following dismissal of felony charge
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POCATELLO — A man who pleaded guilty to possessing drug paraphernalia has been ordered to pay a fine.
Alfonso Garcia III, 33, pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge after reaching a plea agreement with the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office. In exchange for the plea, a felony charge for aggravated battery was dismissed.
At a Nov. 9 hearing, Garcia was issued a fine of $397.50 by Magistrate Judge R. Todd Garbett, court records show.
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Garcia was arrested July 1 following an altercation at a motel on Bench Road in Pocatello.
During the altercation, Garcia allegedly pulled a knife and cut a man on the arm. Witnesses told police there had been an altercation and, when the witnesses separated the two men, they found the victim was “covered in blood.”
The victim allegedly told Garcia he would not call the police if Garcia gave him $1,000.
When officers arrived at the scene, they went to the room where Garcia was staying. Inside the room, the officers found drug paraphernalia “in plain view.”
Garcia spent two days in Bannock County Jail before he was dismissed on his own recognizance. Then, after he failed to appear in court for a July 20 hearing, a warrant was issued for his arrest. He paid a $10,000 bond to avoid any further jail time.