Ogden man sentenced to 3 to 15 years in 2025 drug deal-turned-shooting

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Francisco Mercado, 19, was sentenced to three to 15 years in a 2025 shooting.
He pleaded guilty to five charges, including felony discharge of a firearm.
The incident involved a drug deal-turned-robbery where a juvenile was injured.

OGDEN — An Ogden man faces up to 15 years imprisonment after a shooting last year during a drug deal that injured a juvenile.

Judge Matthew Hansen on Tuesday sentenced Francisco Mercado, 19, to three to 15 years imprisonment for felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony, in the Sept. 28, 2025, incident.

He also received sentences of one to 15 years imprisonment on each of three other counts: robbery and two counts of felony discharge of a firearm, all second-degree felonies. Lastly, he was given zero to 15 years on a fifth count: possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony.

Mercado received credit for 180 days of time served, and the sentences will run concurrently. He pleaded guilty on March 18 to the five charges as part of a plea deal.

The counts of felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm and robbery were reduced from first-degree felonies with gang enhancements. Three other charges were dismissed: two counts of felony discharge of a firearm and aggravated assault, second-degree felonies.

The shooting occurred after Mercado arranged to buy drugs from two juveniles, although, in reality, he planned to rob them, according to his plea agreement.

The exchange was set to happen in the area of 35th Street and Jefferson Avenue in Ogden. When Mercado arrived with two others, two people in his group pointed guns at the juveniles.

The juveniles fled in a vehicle, with the passenger firing toward Mercado's group. Mercado returned fire, shooting the driver in the back.

According to court documents detailing the plea deal, Mercado "admitted to firing his weapon at the victim's vehicle without aiming as it drove away from him. He admitted that he did bring two other individuals, and one of them had handed him the firearm he used."

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