Ludington man to return to prison for heroin, cocaine delivery.

Trenton Espinola appears in 51st Circuit Court from the Mason County Jail via Zoom video conferencing.

Ludington man to return to prison for heroin, cocaine delivery.

By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.

LUDINGTON — A 24-year-old Ludington man who has served two previous prison terms will be sent back to prison after pleading guilty in 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, Feb. 23, to two counts of heroin delivery less than 50 grams and one count of cocaine delivery less than 50 grams.

Trenton Joseph Espinola also pleaded guilty to second-offense habitual offender. He was originally facing prosecution as a fourth-offense habitual offender.

Espinola faces a sentence of four to 20 years with the Michigan Department of Corrections, which will run consecutively to any parole violation sanctions he receives, said Judge Susan K. Sniegowski. The maximum term for a conviction of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance less than 50 grams is 20 years, said Judge Sniegowski, and Espinola’s second-offense habitual offender status elevated the possible maximum term to 30 years.

He will also be ordered to pay $1,615 in restitution to the State, Sheriffs’, Chiefs’ Enforcement of Narcotics Team (SSCENT), said Mason County Assistant Prosecutor Beth Hand.

Espinola testified that he delivered heroin to an address on Loomis Street in the City of Ludington June 10, 2020 and June 21, 2020. He then delivered cocaine to a Ludington Avenue address July 27, 2020.

According to the Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS), he was paroled March 10, 2020 after being sentenced in 2017 in Mason County to one year and seven months to eight years  for two counts of illegal possession of a financial transaction device (credit card). 

Espinola was sentenced to a previous prison term at the age of 19. He received concurrent prison terms in 2016 in Mason County for a crime spree that led to convictions of safe breaking; resisting a police officer; larceny in a building; and possession with intent to deliver marijuana. Espinola was ordered by Judge Sniegowski to serve two terms of one year and five months to four years and one term of two-and-a-half years to 15 years.

He appeared in court Tuesday via Zoom video conferencing due to COVID-19.

Sentencing for his recent convictions is scheduled for April 6 at 1:15 p.m.

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