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An Albert Lea man was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison Monday tied to a drive-by shooting from August 2020.

Anthony Barela, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault. He initially faced an additional charge of drive-by shooting, but that charge was dismissed.

Court documents state on Aug. 6, 2020, Barela fired a handgun at a person from his vehicle while stopped in the middle of Front Street. The victim knew Barela, and the two reportedly had animosity between them.

Barela reportedly fled in his vehicle, and police later found him and the vehicle at his residence.

After executing a search warrant on his house and vehicle, police found a .22 caliber revolver in Barela’s vehicle with one missing shell and two fired shells on the driver’s side floor of the vehicle.

The victim was not injured.

The sentence was a downward durational departure from the Minnesota sentencing guidelines that called for a presumptive 36-month prison commitment.

Court documents filed by Barela’s lawyer, Tayler Rahm, argued for the lesser sentence because there were no injuries to the victim, Barela was not on his proper medication during the crime and he had remorse and accepted responsibility for his actions.

Barela will receive credit for 226 days already spent in prison.