KAUFMAN, TX — District Attorney Erleigh Norville Wiley announced today that Arnie Zandate, Jr., 22 years old, pled guilty to Manufacture / Delivery of a Controlled Substance between 4 and 200 grams, a first-degree felony and Evading Arrest with a Vehicle, a third-degree felony. At sentencing, the Honorable Tracy Gray, presiding judge of the 489th District Court, sentenced Zandate to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division for 40 years and 10 years, respectively, for his crimes.
KAUFMAN, TX — District Attorney Erleigh Norville Wiley announced today that Arnie Zandate, Jr., 22 years old, pled guilty to Manufacture / Delivery of a Controlled Substance between 4 and 200 grams, a first-degree felony and Evading Arrest with a Vehicle, a third-degree felony. At sentencing, the Honorable Tracy Gray, presiding judge of the 489th District Court, sentenced Zandate to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division for 40 years and 10 years, respectively, for his crimes.
Zandate was speeding in a residential area of Forney, Texas in the early morning hours of March 2, 2024. A deputy constable attempted to stop Zandate, and he led officers on a high-speed chase, reaching speeds in excess of 125 mph on Highway 80. Zandate eventually came to a stop in Seagoville after his car ran out of gas. A search of Zandate’s person and vehicle revealed nearly 1000 blue “M 30” pills that were confirmed to be Fentanyl, two clear baggies of suspected methamphetamine, two clear baggies of suspected marijuana, a digital scale, two loaded firearms, 4 pistol magazines, and 4 credit cards that were issued to a name other than Zandate.
At sentencing, the Court heard testimony from the arresting officer and a drug trafficking expert from the Kaufman County Street Crimes Task Force. Their testimony revealed that Zandate’s phone contained multiple pictures of him holding firearms and large sums of money, as well as photos depicting his drug dealing business, with phrases such as, “JMoney Best Percs in Town”, “Rich OFF Perc[s]”, and “King of Percs.”
The Kaufman County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank the officers of the Kaufman County Constable’s Office - Precinct 2 and the Street Crimes Task Force for their diligent efforts in this matter. DA Wiley says, “Fentanyl has no place on the streets of Kaufman County.”