By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
A Yukon man previously convicted in a felony drug case has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading no contest to violating the state’s computer crimes act and endangering children.
Eduardo Mendoza, 50, was initially charged in October 2021 with possessing child pornography in connection with an undercover investigation by the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office.
Mendoza violated state law “by possessing numerous images and videos of child pornography in his Dropbox cloud storage account,” court documents show.
The next month, he was charged with child endangerment by driving under the influence in a separate case investigated by Yukon Police.
A jury trial in both cases had been set April 3 before Canadian County District Judge Khristan K. Strubhar.
When those crimes occurred, Mendoza was on probation after pleading guilty in January 2021 for trafficking in illegal drugs, unlawful possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
In July 2022, then-District Judge Jack D. McCurdy II ruled that Mendoza had violated probation and revoked his 9-1/2-year suspended sentence. Mendoza already had served six months in jail ordered as part of the January ’21 plea deal.
RECENT HEARING
Mendoza, appearing with attorney Jason Spanich, pleaded no contest to violating the Oklahoma computer crimes act and child endangerment at a March 23rd hearing before Judge Strubhar.
Assistant District Attorney Austin T. Murrey amended the child pornography charge to the computer crimes act violation.
Pursuant to a plea agreement between prosecutors and the defense, Judge Strubhar sentenced Mendoza to serve 14 years in state prison followed by six years suspended.
Mendoza will be supervised by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections after his release from custody. Judge Strubhar ordered him to comply with rules and conditions of probation, including obtaining a psychosexual evaluation and following the treatment recommendations.
The child pornography charge was punishable by 10 years to life in prison and a possible $25,000 fine.
In the child endangerment case, Mendoza was sentenced to five years in prison with credit for time served.
Mendoza has been housed at the Canadian County Jail since Nov. 14, 2021, after his arrest in the child porn case.
Judge Strubhar ordered sentences in all three felony cases to run concurrently.
