A South Bend man has been sentenced to almost 22 years in prison, in connection with a LaPorte County traffic stop that reportedly turned up heroin, crack, and a .38 caliber revolver back in April. Marvin Cates, 43, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office.
It stems from a traffic stop that took place on April 29. Sheriff’s deputies say they found a loaded .38 caliber revolver on the font seat of the car. Almost 20 grams of heroin and more than five grams of crack cocaine were also in the car, according to police. Cates reportedly admitted that he was on his way from Chicago to South Bend, where he planned to break down the drugs and sell them.
The Sheriff’s Office says Cates already had several felony convictions, including three armed robberies, qualifying him as an armed career criminal. Cates was sentenced to 262 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
