Coachella Valley gang leader sentenced to nearly 22 years in federal prison for dealing meth

A self-proclaimed gang leader from Palm Springs was sentenced today to nearly 22 years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine on five occasions, following a series of previous convictions, prosecutors said today.  

Efrain Chavez, 37, pleaded guilty in November to five counts of distributing methamphetamine, admitting that he sold a total of roughly 6.3 pounds of the drug during the various 2019 transactions in parking lots in Cathedral City, Palm Springs and Colton.  

Prosecutors said he had nearly 5 more pounds of the drug in his possession when he was arrested in November 2019.

He was sentenced Monday to 260 months in federal prison. When he completes the sentence, he will serve another 10 years on supervised release.   

Prosecutors said Chavez has five prior felony convictions, and despite that criminal record and various stints in prison, he continued to sell narcotics.