A plea agreement has a South Lake Tahoe man going to jail for one year on voluntary manslaughter charges.

Had Brad Macewan, 56, gone to trial in the death of his roommate and been found guilty of murder – the first charge levied against him – he faced 25 years in prison. Instead, he pleaded on one count of felony voluntary manslaughter. This month he was sentenced to one year in jail and five years probation.

It is customary for defendants to be given a reduced sentence based on behavior and work time. Macewan will not be entitled to those credits.

Upon his release he will also have to abstain from all use and possession of alcohol, per the judge’s order.

Macewan was roommates with Patrick Lee Rego, 52. In July 2011, Macewan called police before dawn saying Rego was not breathing and had sustained a head trauma.

 — Lake Tahoe News staff report