4 sentenced for distributing meth after 200kg seized from Gainesville home

The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia announced four men who were indicted for a conspiracy to sell large amounts of methamphetamine had been sentenced.

According to the USAO, law enforcement officers seized roughly 200 kilograms of meth from Almarud Duarte, David Garcia, Eduardo Penaloza-Pacheco, and Kevin Tello.

From May to August 2021, the four men “conspired to, and did, distribute kilogram amounts of methamphetamine,” the USAO said. “Kevin Tello and David Garcia supplied the drugs to Almarud Duarte, who then sold the methamphetamine.”

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On June 28, 2021, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said Penaloza-Pacheco then sold a kilogram he got from Tello. Officers then seized about 200 kilograms of meth from Garcia’s home.

“Illicit drugs devastatingly impact our communities, resulting in significant suffering by those addicted to the substances and the families who love them,” Buchanan said. “We thank our law enforcement partners for their dedication to combatting the scourge of drug trafficking and helping to keep our streets safe.”

Three of the men, Duarte, Garcia, and Tello, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute, while Penaloza-Pacheco pled guilty to distribution.

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Each of the men was sentenced to between five to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Their sentences are:

• Almarud Duarte, 27, of Oakwood, Georgia, pleaded guilty on January 23, 2023, and was sentenced to nine years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

• David Garcia, 42, of Duluth, Georgia, pleaded guilty on June 1, 2022, and was sentenced to 14 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

• Eduardo Penaloza-Pacheco, 38, of Gainesville, Georgia, pleaded guilty on May 16, 2022, and was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

• Kevin Tello, 27, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, pleaded guilty on May 1, 2022, and was sentenced to eight years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

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