After four delays, convicted rapist Michael Reyes has been
sentenced to 30 years to life in prison with an additional 95 years
and eight months on top of that.
After four delays, convicted rapist Michael Reyes has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison with an additional 95 years and eight months on top of that.
The sentencing Friday at the San Benito County Courthouse came after Reyes, 57, was found guilty by a jury Nov. 19 of 27 counts of sexual assault from incidents spanning six years in three different cities. Reyes faced 28 felony counts stemming from the incidents.
Reyes was the Mongols’ local chapter president before his arrest in March 2010.
Reyes’ sentencing was delayed four times over recent months, as visiting Judge Alan Hedegard initially wanted more time to review the case before issuing a punishment. And then in March, Reyes asked to change attorneys.
Reyes asked for a “couple of months” to find a new attorney, but Hedegard gave him 13 days.
“Regrettably, I have to give him time to find a new attorney,” Hedegard said at the time.
After an April 7 court date, Reyes had not changed attorneys, according to court documents. Oakland-based attorney Mario Andrews is still listed as Reyes’ attorney.
At trial, Andrews unsuccessfully argued there wasn’t enough evidence to convict Reyes of the crime.
“If you have a doubt, the benefit of that doubt goes to Mr. Reyes,” he said at the time, without elaborating much beyond that.
Andrews did not return a phone call before press time Monday.
Reyes was arrested after he was connected to continually sexually abusing a minor from 2002 to 2008 in the cities of Morgan Hill, Los Banos and Hollister.
A jury found him guilty in November after a four-day trial and a half-day of deliberations. The trial included testimony from the now 18-year-old victim, her mother and an expert in child physiology. Other evidence included a phone conversation between Reyes and the victim discussing the crimes.
Reyes was found guilty of nine counts of lewd or lascivious acts, 12 counts of rape, one count of sexual penetration with a foreign object, three counts of oral copulation, one count of forcible acts of sexual penetration and seduction of a 14-year-old girl.
District Attorney Candice Hooper declined to comment on the case Monday. She noted how she was not assigned to it and “didn’t have all the facts,” she said. Hooper directed all questions to Deputy District Attorney Karen Forcum.
Forcum did not return phone calls before press time.
It is unclear if Reyes will appeal the charges.
