By STEPHANIE BRUMFIELD / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – A Montevallo man was arrested Dec. 4 and charged with trafficking cocaine and first-degree unlawful possession of marijuana. He is currently being held in the Shelby County Jail on bonds totaling $265,000.

Jose Antonio Pena-Mendoza, 31, of Montevallo, was arrested by the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force Dec. 4 because of an incident that occurred Dec. 3, according to court documents.

No court dates have been set at this time.

According to Alabama law, trafficking cocaine is a class A felony and occurs when “any person knowingly sells, manufactures, delivers or brings into this state, who is knowingly in actual or constructive possession of, 28 grams or more of cocaine or of any mixture containing cocaine.”

Depending on the amount of cocaine in possession, Pena-Mendoza could face between three years and life in prison and fines between $50,000 and $250,000 if convicted.

First-degree unlawful possession of marijuana is a class C felony and occurs when a person possesses marijuana for “other than personal use” or when a person possesses marijuana for his personal use only after having been previously convicted of second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana or unlawful possession of marijuana for his personal use only.

On the second charge, Pena-Mendoza could face between one year and one day and 10 years in prison if convicted.