Judge hands down 10-year sentence on man caught with meth in Colbert

A Mexican national caught with almost 1,200 grams of methamphetamine during a routine traffic stop in Madison County was given a stiff prison term recently in U.S. District Court in Athens.

The crime occurred Dec. 10, 2021, when a Madison County sheriff’s deputy pulled a vehicle in Colbert for a failure to maintain a lane infraction.

Federal Judge Tilman Self III imposed a 10-year prison term on 30-year-old Esteban Palacios Chamu, who at the time of his arrest was residing in Atlanta.

Chamu, who participated in the hearing with the aid of an interpreter, told the court he made a serious mistake.

Prosecutors said Chamu, who did not have a criminal history, will likely be deported to Mexico after he serves his time.

Court documents provided by the U.S. Attorney show that upon the traffic stop, Chamu did not have a driver’s license or other identification.

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The deputy smelled marijuana inside the vehicle and a subsequent search revealed a drug ledger, a bag with a chunk of meth, a gallon-size bag with meth, a baggie of meth, digital scales, and various cell phones.

Investigators did not disclose if they determined where Chamu was taking the drugs.

Besides Madison County, the Athens-Clarke police, Drug Enforcement Administration agents, Georgia State Patrol and Greene County Sheriff’s Office all assisted in some manner with the investigation into Chamu’s activities.

Chamu has been in jail since his arrest and is expected to get credit for time already served.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Federal judge sentences man caught with drugs in Colbert