Heroin dealer sentenced to 13 years

A Spokane man who delivered almost an ounce of heroin to a police informant will serve at least 10 years behind bars, a Coeur d’Alene judge ruled.

Brandon Maganas, 36, who has an extensive criminal history in Washington, according to prosecutors was sentenced in Coeur d’Alene last week by District Judge John Mitchell to 13 years in prison, which includes a 10-year fixed sentence and three additional years that may be used at the discretion of the department of corrections.

Maganas, who appeared in court with a colostomy bag, asked the judge if he could be released to have surgery to fix the problem that required the colostomy bag.

“I was shot back in January 2017,” Maganas told the court last week.”I was getting prepared for this surgery to have it removed before I got picked up.”

Maganas told the court he was going to have surgery at Deaconess Medical Center before he was indicted last year for selling 26 grams of heroin — almost an ounce — to an Idaho State Police informant.

He asked the court for a medical furlough to have the surgery to remove the bag before he was sent to prison, but Mitchell denied the motion.

“I know you have told me … that you are tired and wouldn’t run, but this has a huge risk,” Mitchell said. “I am not a cruel person. I like to think I am pretty practical.”

Mitchell said he was burned three times “in a row,” by defendants who skipped out on a furlough, or leave.

“I tried to do what I could to accommodate your medical needs,” Mitchell said.

The amount of heroin involved mandates a 10-year minimum prison sentence and a $15,000 fine, which Mitchell also imposed.

Deputy prosecutor Stanley Mortensen said Maganas had many prior felony convictions although none in Idaho and that he could have been charged with a higher amount of drugs.

“The incident he was caught in, had enough heroin to warrant a 15-year prison sentence,” Mortensen said.

Maganas was given 166 days credit for the time he served in the Kootenai County Jail.