Last Defendant in Drug Investigation Sentenced
COEUR D’ALENE – Bonnie Duarte, 51, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced today to two years probation and 80 hours of community service for misprision of a felony, drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Duarte pleaded guilty to the charge on March 22, 2011.
According to court documents, Duarte was the long time partner of Jesus Noriega Ortega. From 2000 until April 2005, Ortega supplied quantities of marijuana to Theodore Bruck, which was then distributed to Idaho and other places. Duarte was aware that Jesus Ortega possessed a quantity of marijuana and failed to report the ongoing criminal activity to law enforcement. Duarte was further aware that Jesus Ortega distributed marijuana and she concealed and failed to report his illegal activity to any judge or other person in civil or military authority under the United States when she was arrested and questioned. Duarte claimed she did not know anything about the marijuana conspiracy that Jesus Ortega was involved in.
The case was investigated by Idaho State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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