Bakersfield Resident Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Narcotics

 FRESNO, Calif. — Jorge Chavez, 36, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and marijuana, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 12, 2020, Chavez was arrested in Bakersfield and was found to be in possession of approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 23.5 pounds of marijuana, approximately 2 pounds of cocaine, and approximately 66 grams of heroin. Prior to that date, on three separate occasions between Feb. 18, 2020, and April 27, 2020, Chavez sold to a purchaser a total of five firearms – including four rifles with high capacity magazines – and approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine. On June 4, 2020, Chavez offered to sell to the same purchaser 1 pound of methamphetamine for $3,400, and 1 ounce of heroin for $750. In his plea agreement, Chavez agreed to forfeit to the United States more than $25,000.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bakersfield Police Department, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Kern County Probation Department, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker is prosecuting the case.

Chavez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Dec. 3, 2021. Chavez faces a maximum term of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.