WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- A judge has sentenced a Winston-Salem man to up to 10 years in prison in the deaths of two men killed by gunfire during a drug deal.
The Winston-Salem Journal reports that 25-year-old Santiago Valdez Lopez accepted a deal Thursday and pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter and one count of conspiracy to traffic cocaine. A judge sentenced him to spend from nearly eight years to up to more than 10 years in prison.
Authorities say Lopez arranged a drug deal with 24-year-old Corey Torain and 25-year-old Tyrell Wheeler in June 2010. An argument broke out during the deal, and investigators say Wheeler was shot three times in the head, while Torain was shot seven times in the chest.
Investigators continue to look for other suspects.