These guys will not get five years in prison. Almost all laws are written like this in order to give Judges leeway in sentencing. Back in the 70's, California had many laws on the books that had penalties of "2 years to Life in Prison." That's a pretty big spread. So whenever somebody was arrested for one of those crimes the media article always says they could face life in prison if convicted. This crime probably has a variety of punishments listed, from fines, up to five years in prison. The media always uses the highest punishment just to make it sound more dramatic.