He was, by any definition, a criminal. He sold marijuana to undercover agents and had drug paraphernalia, evidence of money laundering and firearms in his home when Salt Lake Police officers conducted a search warrant. Most importantly, he was carrying a gun during drug transactions, at least according to an informant, even though he didn’t unholster it or wave it about.
He deserved to go to prison. It was hard to argue against his harsh sentence without appearing soft on crime.