By SHARON K. HALL
TV personality Chico, a regular cast member on the popular Discovery Channel’s Moonshiners show, appeared in Knott County District Court Tuesday. Matthew “Chico” Tungate of Gravel Switch, Ky. (near Lebanon), was visiting Knott County last October and selling memorabilia from his 1995 SUV when he was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs, first offense.
According to the KSP officer from Post 9 who arrested Chico, he drove his vehicle into a crowd. Upon taking a field sobriety test, the officer noted he failed it. Chico’s lawyer said he was set up at the Trail Ride with his wares for sale out of his vehicle. He moved his vehicle forward when the officer felt like he should not have been under the wheel. The case was resolved in court this week with the court ruling him to pay a fine and court costs.
The 30-year-old celebrity is known for his quick wit and comic statements but he is serious about the legal situation. Chico’s attorney, Terry Dean Jacobs, said his client expressed that he regretted any embarrassment it caused.
“He loves the people of Knott County and he didn’t want to cause any negative publicity. He came to the Gingerbread Festival last year and rode through the parade and to the Fall Horse Trail Ride. He loved it and he would like to come back.”
Jacobs doesn’t know if he is planning a return trip to Knott County but he said he is a fan of Knott County and he thinks the trail ride is a good thing. Chico has been familiar with horses for many years and started training horses at a young age.
Chico was working a delivery job when he met the founder of Moonshiners Tim Smith. It was his light-hearted personality and comedian characteristic that Smith liked. Since Chico was trying to straighten his life after being in trouble since he was 17, Smith wanted to give him an opportunity to join Moonshiners. In real life Smith makes legal moonshine but heads up a cast that play in a docudrama TV series about moonshiners in the Appalachian Mountains. In the Discovery TV series Moonshiners they are carrying on a 200-year-old tradition of making moonshine. Each episode they are looking for good places to put a still while looking over their shoulder for police.
Chico has appeared in 27 episodes from 2013 to 2015. Moonshiners finished four seasons and now reruns are playing on television.
Jacobs does not know if Chico will return to Knott County as he mainly resides in Atlanta or California. He will soon be busy with a new endeavor. Chico has just signed a contract with a production company. Jacobs was not at liberty to discuss his new venture but he said we shall see Chico back on TV.
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