Gang member gets 10 years for selling drugs to undercover Aurora cop

An avowed gang member with a list of felony convictions was sentenced to a decade behind bars Wednesday for selling drugs to an undercover officer in west suburban Aurora.

Paul F. Benavides, 39, of North Aurora pleaded guilty March 31 to a single felony count of delivery of a controlled substance, according to the Kane County state’s attorney’s office. As a result, he was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison.

In May 2014, Benavides traded an undercover officer $800 in cash and 6.5 grams of cocaine for 60 cartons of cigarettes during an exchange in the 2000 block of Tall Oaks Drive in Aurora, prosecutors said.

Benavides, who admitted being a member of a street gang during his sentencing hearing, was subject to advanced sentencing because of his history of felony convictions, prosecutors said.

He pleaded guilty in 1995 to a felony gun offense in DuPage County, and again in 2009 to a felony drug offense in LaSalle County, prosecutors said. He also has six unrelated felony convictions.

Benavides is eligible for day-to-day sentencing, prosecutors said. He was given credit for 314 days served in the Kane County jail.