Gorge “Chico” Duarte Sentenced to 262 Months in Prison For Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On June 20, 2018, Gorge “Chico” Duarte, 42, of Mohawk, Tennessee, was sentenced by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, U.S. District Court Judge, to serve 262 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine (meth) in the Eastern District of Tennessee.  According to his plea agreement on file with U.S. District Court, Duarte admitted that he was responsible for at least 500 grams but less than 1.5 kilograms of actual meth. 

In early 2015, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies collaborated and began an investigation into an evolving meth distribution network that distributed multiple kilogram quantities of meth in and around Hamblen County, Tennessee. Duarte served a local source of supply. He obtained meth from a larger trans-national criminal organization and in turn supplied the meth to other local distributors. During the course of committing the offense, Duarte was serving a term of supervised release for a prior federal conviction, conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the Eastern District of Tennessee. He was ordered to serve an additional 37 months consecutive to the 262 months for violating his supervised release. 

This investigation was the product of a partnership between the FBI, Hamblen County Sheriff’s Department and Third Judicial Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Lampe represented the United States in court proceedings.  

The investigation is a result of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.

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