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Ogden • A man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in an Ogden shooting death — during which he was stabbed by the victim — was sentenced Thursday to prison for up to 15 years.
Isaac Daniel Duran, 24, was originally charged with first-degree felony murder for fatally shooting 34-year-old Steven Carroll Ferguson on Feb. 23, 2015.
Last month, Duran pleaded guilty in 2nd District Court to a reduced charge of second-degree felony manslaughter, along with charges of second-degree felony possession or use of a firearm by a restricted person and two counts of third-degree felony discharge of a firearm.
The second-degree felonies are each punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and the lesser charges by up to five years in prison.
On Thursday, Judge Noel Hyde ordered the four counts to run concurrently, for a maximum of 15 years behind bars.
Ferguson was shot twice with a .357-calber weapon — once in the lower back and once in the arm — near the 3500 block of Jefferson Avenue.
Duran, who suffered a stab wound to his abdomen during the altercation with Ferguson, said in court Thursday that he had lost "a brother" — referring to the fact that both he and Ferguson were members of the Ogden Trece gang.
"I was scared for my life," Duran told the judge. "I know I made a mistake."
But Austin Torres, Ferguson's adult son, who held a baby of his own while addressing the court, rejected Duran's claim of brotherhood.
"If someone's your brother, you don't put a bullet in his back," Torres said.
The judge denied defense attorney Ryan Bushell's request for jail time and probation rather than prison, saying probation would give Duran the idea that his actions were justified.
"You took the life of an individual," the judge told Duran. "That was your choice."
Weber County Attorney Chris Allred said at last month's change-of-plea hearing that Duran had a "significant stab wound" to his abdomen, and a knife found in the area had Duran's blood and Ferguson's fingerprints on it.
Allred said the manslaughter plea deal was offered because Duran likely would have claimed self-defense or "imperfect self-defense" at trial.
As part of the plea deal, prosecutors on Thursday recommended concurrent rather than consecutive prison terms. The judge gave Duran credit for 204 days he spent in jail awaiting resolution of the case.
Twitter: @natecarlisle