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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A man described by Rochester police as a significant drug dealer is being given an opportunity to stay out of prison.

An Olmsted County judge today sentenced 28-year-old Vilay Phayvanh to five years probation and 45 days in jail, although he was given credit for 30 days he has already spent behind bars. If he fails to meet the terms of his probation, Phayvanh faces the possibility of having to serve a stayed prison sentence of over seven and a half years.

He pleaded guilty last October to a second-degree drug charge involving the sale of 10 kilos or more of marijuana. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a first-degree drug charge involving cocaine sales and a felony count for importing a controlled substance across state borders.

Phayvanh was arrested in 2018 as a result of an investigation by Rochester police who were assisted by the FBI. The charges filed against him listed allegations involving the distribution and the sale of marijuana and cocaine in the Rochester area dating back to 2014.

Court documents stated Phayvanh told investigators the drug shipments came from California and that he used some of the proceeds to purchase a vehicle detailing business in Rochester. He sold the business after owning it for about a year.

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