A Tampa man facing criminal charges involving a murder and possible drug dealings has plead guilty to second degree murder and received a three year prison sentence. Alexis Rivera Nunez shot and killed Yoandy Cancio who he claims approached him holding a submachine gun according to TBO.com. Prosecutors contended that Nunez shot an unarmed man over stolen drugs.

The shooting took place in 2009 and prosecutors agreed to the plea deal this week. The judge in the case accepted the agreement and sentenced Nunez to three years in prison followed by a probation term of 15 years. Nunez could have been facing a prison sentence ranging from 25 years to life.

Prosecutors felt they needed to come to a plea agreement because their main witness was shot and killed. Julio De La Torre was sitting in his car in Seffner when he was shot and killed. A 23-year-old man named Isaiah Ridley has been charged with that killing. Remaining witnesses in the case had conflicting statements further hampering the case against Nunez.

Nunez’s criminal defense attorney was prepared to argue that the shooting was in self defense had he not accepted the second degree murder charges. Some of the witnesses in the case claim that Nunez believed Cancio stole drugs from him and that Nunez threatened to kill him. While police first reported that both men had guns one witness stated Cancio was unarmed and had his back to Nunez walking away when he was shot in the abdomen after turning back towards Nunez. Nunez’s attorney claimed that Cancio had a Tec-9 semi-automatic pistol with a 32-round clip at the time of the shooting.

According to the story on TBO.com the family of the victim was not in agreement with the three-year prison sentence. None of them showed up in court to her the guilty plea.