All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
(Fremont County, WY) – The initial appearance/arraignment hearing for Oscar Espinoza Duarte was held yesterday, March 26, before the Honorable Judge R. Michael Shickich in Casper.
Duarte pled not guilty to the charges filed against him at the hearing, and a May 27 Jury trial was set.
Duarte, whom the FBI shared is a Mexican national and has probable cartel ties, was originally only charged with felony methamphetamine distribution, but according to an updated federal indictment document filed on March 20, he now faces two counts of distribution of methamphetamine (aiding and abetting), possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (and aiding and abetting), conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and alien in possession of a firearm.
Duarte faces these charges after a Rocky Mountain Safe Trails Task Force investigation determined he had been distributing methamphetamine in the Wind River Reservation and surrounding communities from his home in the Kinnear area.
The original information provided by the FBI indicated that another individual was taken into custody when Duarte was detained back in February, but their identity was not revealed at that time.
Updated federal court filings now identify that individual as German Ortiz-Esparza.
Ortiz-Esparza faces two counts of distribution of methamphetamine (aiding and abetting), possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (and aiding and abetting), conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and alien in possession of a firearm.
Ortiz-Esparza’s initial appearance hearing took place today, March 27, before the Honorable Judge Teresa McKee in Lander, where his arraignment hearing was set for April 1.
The maximum penalty for a distribution of methamphetamine (aiding and abetting) felony charge is 10 years to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and 5 years to life of supervised release.
The maximum penalty for a possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (and aiding and abetting) felony charge is 5 to 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and 4 years to life of supervised release.
The maximum penalty for a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine felony charge is 10 years to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and 5 years to life of supervised release.
The maximum penalty for a possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime felony charge is no less than 5 years to life (consecutive) imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release.
County 10 will provide updates on Duarte’s case as they become available, which can be viewed here. Updates on German Ortiz-Esparza can be viewed here.