Eastern District of Arkansas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Sin City Deciples Member Sentenced to 204 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Herman Troy Jefferson a/k/a “G-Rilla,” age 51, of Jacksonville, Arkansas, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after being found guilty of racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine following an 18-day jury trial, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Jefferson was sentenced to 204 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to the Second Superseding Indictment, the Sin City Deciples, originally formed in 1967 in Gary, Indiana, is an outlaw motorcycle organization in which its members and associates engaged in acts of violence, extortion, and narcotics distribution in the Northern District of Indiana and elsewhere. Jefferson served as a National President of the entire club and conspiracy between 2017-2021. As National President Jefferson was 2nd in command behind the founder of the club. Jefferson utilized another motorcycle club to sell and traffic cocaine and marijuana for him. Additionally, he attempted to create a “pyramid scheme” of narcotics trafficking by asking members to contribute $10-$30 K of narcotics to be trafficked across the U.S. and promised a 20 percent return. At trial, individuals testified that Jefferson was confronted because this return on investment never occurred. Finally, as National President, multiple acts of extortion and violence took place under his leadership.
The agencies involved in this prosecution were: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gary Police Department, the Griffith Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents, the Merrillville Police Department, the Munster Police Department, and the Schererville Police Department. Also providing assistance were the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Western District of Kentucky, and the Western District of Pennsylvania.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick, Michael J. Toth, and Kimberly L. Schultz.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
North Little Rock Man Who Illegally Possessed Firearm Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Kamron Leemonte Mathis, a multi-convicted felon, will spend more than 15 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
On October 11, 2023, Mathis, 27, of North Little Rock, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Tuesday, Judge Moody sentenced Mathis to 188 months in the Bureau of Prisons to be followed by five years of supervised released. Mathis, whose prior felony convictions all involved firearms, was indicted on December 7, 2022, on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The maximum penalty Mathis faced was not less than 15 years to life in prison and a fine of $250,000. There is no parole in the federal system.
Classified as an armed career criminal, Mathis’ sentence was based on the offense as well as his documented violent criminal history. Mathis has a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm as well as prior convictions for robbery on two different occasions, two counts of aggravated assault, and battery in the first degree.
On June 25, 2022, North Little Rock Police Department officers stopped the vehicle that Mathis was driving because the registration had expired. Mathis, who was on parole at the time of the traffic stop and had a search waiver on file, was asked to step out of the vehicle. During this search of the vehicle, a 9 mm firearm was found under the driver’s seat. Also found were two magazines and approximately 24 rounds of ammunition.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the North Little Rock Police Department.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Former Bryant High School Teacher Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Transportation of A Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Heather Hare, 33, of Conway, was sentenced to serve the next 13 years in federal prison for transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of unlawful sexual activity. Hare was sentenced earlier today by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
The investigation into Hare revealed that Hare taught Family Consumer Science classes at Bryant High School and met the minor victim on their first day of their senior year. Hare began one-on-one counseling sessions with the minor victim, eventually giving them her personal phone number and primarily communicating with them through Instagram and Snapchat.
Hare later told the minor victim that she had a dream of them having sex and gave the victim her home address in Conway. The minor victim and Hare engaged in sexual activity between 20 to 30 times throughout the 2021-2022 school term, including multiple times at her Conway residence, in her vehicle, and in her classroom and parking lots at Bryant High School.
Between April 21 and April 24, 2022, Hare was the sponsor and chaperone for a field trip to Washington, D.C., as part of an extracurricular activity related to the Family Consumer Science courses Hare taught. During the field trip, Hare and the minor victim engaged in the unlawful sexual activity to which she pleaded guilty.
Hare was indicted on August 1, 2023, and charged with one count of interstate/foreign travel for prostitution/sexual activity by coercion and one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. In exchange for her guilty plea, the remaining charge was dismissed.
Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Hare to serve a lifetime of supervised release. Hare faced a maximum sentence of not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life imprisonment, and not less than five years of supervised release for transportation of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
“Teachers who have sex with their minor students should take note of today’s sentence for Ms. Hare which reflects the consequences of abusing her position of trust and taking advantage of the vulnerability of this minor to repeatedly engage in unlawful sexual activity,” Ross said. “Our office will continue to hold accountable those who are in a position of trust that target children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law, as evidenced by Judge Rudofsky sentencing Ms. Hare to 13 years in federal prison.”
“The FBI takes crimes against children very seriously,” said Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Corder, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Little Rock Field Office. “Today’s sentencing shows that the federal government will continuously work to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals who abuse their position of trust and authority to exploit children in our community.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Saline County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bryant Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Brookland Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that a man who owned and operated an information technology business that provided services to various governmental entities has pleaded guilty to tax evasion. Ronnie Lyn Drummond, 52, of Brookland, entered this guilty plea earlier today before United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
Judge Moody will sentence Drummond at a later date. Tax evasion is punishable by not more than five years’ imprisonment, not more than three years’ supervised release, and a fine of not more than $100,000.
The investigation revealed that Drummond failed to timely file tax returns for the tax years of 2008 – 2012. When Drummond eventually filed returns for these years, his calculations reflected tax obligations, which Drummond failed to pay. Between 2014 and 2017, the defendant received gross receipts of $1,044,043.05, to include labor and materials. In an attempt to conceal his gross receipts, including income, from the Internal Revenue Service, the defendant cashed the majority of the checks he received. The tax loss, excluding interest and penalties, is $177,357.98.
“Law-abiding U.S. citizens who responsibly file their tax returns each year and pay their taxes expect those who won’t, to be held accountable. Unlike the vast majority of his fellow citizens, Mr. Drummond chose to conceal income; to not file his tax returns for several years; and to fail to pay the amounts he knew were owed to the Internal Revenue Service,” said Ross. “As demonstrated by this case, failure to file taxes or evading paying the taxes you owe, can result in prosecution and a potential sentence in federal prison.”
“Every U.S. Citizen has the common duty of paying their fair share of taxes, which in turn helps provide for the general welfare and the common defense of this great Nation,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. “The women and men of IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to bring people to justice who blatantly disregard their civic duty and willfully break the law by evading their taxes. Mr. Drummond willfully chose not to pay his taxes, and in some cases, he chose not to file his tax returns with the IRS. Now he faces the possibility of jail time and the payment of restitution for taxes owed, plus interest and penalties.”
Drummond was indicted on May 4, 2023, and charged with one count of tax evasion and one count of failure to file taxes. In exchange for his guilty plea to tax evasion, the remaining count was dismissed.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service with assistance from the Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available on-line at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Two Former Missouri Health Care Charity Executives Sentenced for Roles in Multimillion-Dollar Bribery and Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
Two former executives of a Springfield, Missouri-based charity were sentenced for their roles in a multimillion-dollar public corruption scheme that involved embezzlement and bribes paid to multiple elected public officials in the State of Arkansas.
Bontiea Bernedette Goss, 65, was sentenced today to three years in prison, and her husband, Tommy “Tom” Ray Goss, 68, was sentenced on April 25 to six years in prison. They were also ordered to jointly pay $4.35 million in forfeiture and/or restitution.
According to court documents, Bontiea and Tom Goss were the former chief operating officer and chief financial officer, respectively, at Preferred Family Healthcare Inc., a charity that provided a variety of services to individuals in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Illinois. Some of these services included mental and behavioral health treatment and counseling, substance abuse treatment and counseling, employment assistance, aid to individuals with developmental disabilities, and medical services. In exchange for the bribes and kickbacks offered and paid by the Gosses and their co-conspirators, elected state officials in Arkansas provided favorable legislative and official action for the charity, including, but not limited to, influencing legislation that would impact the charity and directing funds from the State’s General Improvement Fund.
In September 2022, both Bontiea and Tom Goss pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pay bribes and kickbacks to elected officials in Arkansas. Tom Goss also pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy by embezzling funds from the charity and to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false tax return.
In 2022, Preferred Family Healthcare also agreed to pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government and the State of Arkansas under the terms of a non-prosecution agreement, which acknowledged the criminal conduct of its former officers and employees.
As part of this long-running, multi-jurisdiction federal investigation, additional former executives from the charity, former members of the Arkansas state legislature, and others have pleaded guilty in federal court, including the following:
- Former CEO Marilyn Luann Nolan, of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty in November 2018 to her role in a conspiracy to embezzle and misapply the funds of a charitable organization that received federal funds.
- Former Director of Operations and Executive Vice President Robin Raveendran, of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty in June 2019 to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
- Former Executive and Head of Clinical Operations Keith Fraser Noble, of Rogersville, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September 2019 to concealment of a known felony.
- Former employee and Head of Operations and Lobbying in Arkansas Milton Russell Cranford, also known as Rusty, of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of federal program bribery.
- Political consultant Donald Andrew Jones, also known as D.A. Jones, of Willingboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in December 2017 to his role in a conspiracy from April 2011 to January 2017 to steal from an organization that receives federal funds.
- Former Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson, of Little Rock, pursuant to a global plea agreement, pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019 in the Eastern District of Arkansas to filing a false tax return; pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019, to an information filed in the Western District of Arkansas to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery; and pleaded guilty in the Western District of Missouri on July 8, 2019, to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. Hutchinson was sentenced to eight years in prison.
- Former Arkansas State Representative Eddie Wayne Cooper, of Melbourne, Arkansas, pleaded guilty in February 2018 to conspiracy to embezzle more than $4 million from Preferred Family Healthcare.
- Former Arkansas State Senator and State Representative Henry “Hank” Wilkins IV pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and devising a scheme and artifice to defraud and deprive the citizens of the State of Arkansas of their right to honest services. Wilkins was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore for the Western District of Missouri; U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas; U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas; Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) St. Louis Field Office; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz of the Justice Department Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge William J. Hannah of the Justice Department Office of the Inspector General, Midwest Region; Inspector General Larry D. Turner of the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Shimon R. Richmond of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Office of Inspector General made the announcement.
IRS-CI, FBI, and the Offices of the Inspectors General from the Departments of Justice, Labor, and FDIC investigated the cases.
Acting Deputy Chief Marco A. Palmieri and Trial Attorneys Jacob Steiner and Aaron Jennen of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section; Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Eggert for the Western District of Missouri; Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Mazzanti for the Eastern District of Arkansas; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Wulff and Steven M. Mohlhenrich for the Western District of Arkansas are prosecuting the cases.
Woman Pleads Guilty to Transporting Stolen Human Body Parts Out of the State of ArkansasRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK— Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that a former employee of a mortuary services provider has pleaded guilty to transporting stolen body parts across state lines and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Candace Chapman Scott, 37, of Little Rock, entered this guilty plea today before United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
Judge Miller will sentence Scott at a later date. Transporting stolen property across state lines is punishable by not more than 10 years’ imprisonment, not less than three years’ supervised release, and a fine of not more than $250,000. The maximum penalty faced by Scott for mail fraud is not more than 20 years’ imprisonment, not less than three years’ supervised release, and a fine of not more than $250,000.
The investigation revealed that Scott, while an employee at a mortuary services provider between October 2021 through approximately July 15, 2022, stole human body parts and fetal remains. Scott would then sell the stolen human body parts and fetal remains, arranging for them to be transported across a state line to the purchaser.
Scott was indicted on April 5, 2023, and charged with six counts of wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, and two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property. In exchange for her guilty plea, the remaining charges were dismissed.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
If you have information relating to this case or think you may have been impacted by this case, you may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office by email at [email protected].
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Drug Trafficking Results in over A Dozen People Arrested on Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
JONESBORO—Fifteen people were arrested Tuesday morning as part of a sweeping law enforcement operation that targeted associates of a drug organization responsible for the distribution of methamphetamine in the Northeast Arkansas area. Law enforcement officers previously arrested one person on Monday and served arrest warrants on an additional three people already in custody.
The investigation began in August 2022 to combat a significant drug distribution organization operating in the Northeast Arkansas area. Numerous indictments, which were returned by a Grand Jury on April 2, 2024, and unsealed today, named several defendants who are charged with various drug, money laundering, and firearm offenses. Law enforcement officers arrested 15 individuals and served an arrest warrant Tuesday on two defendants already in federal custody and one in state custody.
Prior to today’s arrests, the investigation had resulted in the seizure of 45 pounds of methamphetamine, 10 pounds of marijuana, one pound of cocaine, six firearms, various ammunition, and $125,000 in drug proceeds. During arrest operations on Tuesday, agents recovered additional methamphetamine, three firearms (one of which was defaced), ammunition, and approximately an additional $28,000 in suspected drug proceeds.
“So many lives and communities have been destroyed by drugs and with today’s arrests, fifteen drug dealers have been taken off the streets,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Where drugs are present, so are firearms and violence. Working with our federal, state, and local partners to keep our citizens safe from the violence that too often accompanies drug trafficking, will help to create safer communities for citizens in the Eastern District of Arkansas.”
"Today’s arrests demonstrate how the FBI has zero tolerance for criminals who pollute our communities with dangerous narcotics,” Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Corder, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Little Rock Field Office. “This was a collaborative effort between the FBI, Jonesboro Police Department, Craighead County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas State Police, and several others. We will continue to work together to keep Arkansans safe and bring dangerous criminals to justice.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, 2nd Judicial District Drug Task Force, Jonesboro Police Department, Craighead County Sheriff’s Office, Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas State Police, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
The charges in today’s unsealed indictments include conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; conspiracy to money launder, money laundering, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The minimum penalty for the drug charges is not less than 10 years’ imprisonment and a $10,000,000 fine. The minimum penalty for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime is not less than five years in prison and up to life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The defendants arrested today will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Benecia B. Moore on April 18, 2024, for plea and arraignment. Defendants who were already in custody will have arraignments scheduled later. Trial dates will be announced at plea and arraignment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary. The defendants charged and in custody include:
Cesar Cortez-Rocha, 51, Misson, Texas
Amado Barranco, Jr. aka “Myo”, 55, McAllen, Texas
Bobby Franklin Barber, 60, Jonesboro
Misty Dawn Barber, 38, Jonesboro
Jamie Lynn Patterson, 40, Jonesboro
*Amie Dawn Eggers, 39, Jonesboro (already in federal custody on other charges)
Carey Wayne Peden, 46, Little Rock
Vance Allen Brown, 56, Hot Springs
*Sir Edward Lee Qualls aka “Buddy”, 35, Earle (already in federal custody on related charges)
Reginald Bogan aka “Smooth”, 37, Jonesboro
**Melissa Bradley, 33, Jonesboro (already in custody on state charges)
Jerry Crump, 55, Jonesboro
Sandi Stanfill, 59, Paragould
Delisha Pugh, 25, Earle
Jennifer Jones, 37, Brookland
William Jones, 28, Harrisburg
Marcus McIntyre, 42, Memphis, Tennessee
Harthoner Goforth, 38, Paragould
Shauna Rutledge, 37, Hughes
* already in federal custody
** in state custody
An indictment contains only allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Little Rock Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison After Fleeing Police, Illegal Possession of FentanylRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Andre Pride will spend the next 151 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
Chief Judge Baker sentenced Pride to 151 months imprisonment and three years’ supervised release to follow his prison sentence. Pride faced a maximum sentence of not more than 20 years imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
On July 19, 2022, Pride, 36, of Little Rock, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. On May 5, 2023, Pride pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On June 13, 2019, Pride was driving a Can-Am motorcycle and while law enforcement officers were attempting to make contact with him, Pride rammed their vehicle and fled. While fleeing, Pride observed two marked law enforcement vehicles and quickly turned around. After turning around, Pride rammed another law enforcement vehicle and fled on foot. While fleeing, Pride removed a baggie of fentanyl from his pocket tore open the bag and attempted to spread the fentanyl in the yard of an unknown residence. Following the arrest of Pride, law enforcement officers retrieved 30 grams of fentanyl from the yard.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Man Sentenced to 135 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Gilberto Pedraza Contreras will spend the next 135 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
Judge Rudofsky sentenced Contreras to 135 months imprisonment and five years supervised release to follow his prison sentence. Contreras faced a maximum sentence of not less than life in prison, not less than five years supervised release, and a fine of not more $10,000,000. There is no parole in the federal system.
On July 6, 2022, Contreras, 37, of Michoacan, Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute and one count of distribution and possession of a controlled substance. On October 30, 2023, Contreras pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On June 15, 2022, agents conducted an operation targeting Contreras, who intended to distribute 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. When Contreras arrived at the location, agents blocked Contreras’s vehicle to minimize the chance of a vehicle pursuit. After Contreras struck an agent’s vehicle with his vehicle, he was taken into custody. Agents located approximately 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in Contreras’ vehicle. After the traffic stop, agents executed a search warrant at Contreras’ residence and located an additional 5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance of the Arkansas State Police and Little Rock Police Department.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Seven Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that seven defendants have been sentenced by United States District Judge D.P. Marshall Jr. to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl. Each of the defendants previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl tablets.
On November 3, 2021, Kyle Harris and Armando Luna were indicted on three counts relating to methamphetamine trafficking. A superseding indictment filed on February 2, 2022, added Taylor, Chaney, Davis, Helms, and Kriesel. The superseding indictment added charges related to firearms and substantial drug trafficking, to include fentanyl trafficking. The defendants pled guilty to Counts 1 and 2 of the Superseding Indictment and with the exception of Davis, faced life imprisonment on one or more counts. There is no parole in the federal system.
From July 2019 through August 2021, defendants engaged in the distribution of pound quantities of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl tablets in Russellville, Conway, and surrounding communities. Several defendants have significant criminal histories, including prior drug trafficking convictions. Defendants Harris, Taylor, Chaney, and Davis are classified as “career offenders.”
Defendant Age City/State Plea Date Sentence Kyle Harris 36 Conway, Arkansas 8/3/2022204 months,
10 years supervised release
Armando Luna 28 Russellville, Arkansas 7/20/222156 months,
5 years supervised release
Benjamin Taylor 34 Atkins, Arkansas 3/6/2023216 months,
5 years supervised release
Zachery Chaney 36 Russellville, Arkansas 8/1/2022180 months,
10 years supervised release
Joseph Davis 52 Russellville, Arkansas 8/1/2022168 months,
4 years supervised release
Clara Helms 32 Russellville, Arkansas 8/4/202298 months,
4 years supervised release
Blake Kriesel 28 Russellville, Arkansas 8/24/2022120 months,
5 years supervised release
During the investigation, law enforcement recovered thousands of fentanyl tablets, pound quantities of methamphetamine, ounce quantities of heroin, tablets of para-Fluorofentanyl, and other controlled substances. At times, the fentanyl tablets were concealed in packaging for fruit snacks and resembled oxycodone tablets. Multiple firearms were also recovered by law enforcement.
“The scourge of methamphetamine and fentanyl continues to destroy lives and communities across our country. We will continue to use every available resource to identify and prosecute those involved with the distribution of these drugs and will not waste time developing sympathy for them. Rather, we will seek the most severe sentences under the law,” said Ross.
“The ATF is working closely with local and state police agencies to prevent firearm trafficking and the scourge of deadly drugs, including fentanyl, flooding our communities,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “Alongside our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF is dedicated to pursuing and combating these criminals to prevent them from doing harm to our communities and neighborhoods.”
“It is admirable to see the combined efforts of all those who worked diligently to investigate and prosecute these cases with the common purpose of making the River Valley communities a safer place to live,” said David Ewing, Chief of Police for Russellville Police Department. “These drug trafficking convictions will send a strong message that we are collectively committed to that common purpose.”
“I’m proud of our local law enforcement, particularly Drug Task Forces that cooperate with Federal authorities to take drug traffickers off the streets,” said Jeff Phillips, Fifth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. “It normally starts at the local level and cooperation between the agencies is vital to successful prosecutions.”
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Russellville Police Department, Pope County Sheriff’s Office, Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force, and Conway Police Department.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Marion Man Sentenced to 50 Months in Federal Prison for Receiving A Firearm While Under Felony InformationRead the Press Release
HELENA-WEST HELENA—Demarcus Parker will spend the next 50 months in federal prison for receiving a firearm while under felony information. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge D. P. Marshall, Jr.
Judge Marshall sentenced Parker to 50 months imprisonment, which is more than twice the sentencing guideline range of 15 to 21 months. Parker was also sentenced to three years of supervised release to follow his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
On April 5, 2023, Parker, 31, of Marion, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of knowingly possessing a stolen firearm and one count of receiving a firearm while under a felony information. On July 25, 2023, Parker pleaded guilty to receipt of a firearm while under felony information.
On May 14, 2018, in the Circuit Court of Crittenden County, Parker was charged by felony information with several felonies, including capital murder, unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle, criminal attempt capital murder, and forgery. On December 11, 2019, Parker was released on bond for those felony offenses. Parker was accused of murdering an off-duty Forrest City police officer, who was hit with a stray bullet in a gang-related shootout. Parker was then convicted of murder following a jury trial. That conviction was ultimately overturned on procedural grounds in March 2023.
On Friday, January 17, 2020, at approximately 6:24 p.m., West Memphis Police Department officers observed a white 2007 Cadillac Escalade, driven by Parker, commit a traffic violation. After stopping the vehicle, officers located a loaded firearm under the center console of the Escalade. Parker admitted he was in possession of the firearm and knew that felony charges were pending against him at the time Parker received this firearm. An investigation revealed that the firearm was stolen out of Denton, Texas, in 2017.
“Today, the man who an Arkansas jury found guilty for the April 28, 2018, murder of Forrest City Police Officer Oliver Johnson, but whose conviction for that murder was later dismissed on procedural grounds, has now been held accountable and punished for the subsequent offense of receiving a firearm while knowingly facing a pending charge of murder. Mr. Parker has an extremely violent criminal past, and his behavior reflects no respect for the law. Importantly, due to the work by prosecutors in our office and the ATF Memphis Field Office, Mr. Parker has been in continuous custody since before the mandate was issued to release Mr. Parker on May 4, 2023, by the Arkansas Supreme Court,” said Ross.
“Although today’s conviction was for a completely separate offense that happened 19 months after Officer Johnson’s murder, as soon as our office learned on March 16, 2023, that the Arkansas Supreme Court had announced its decision to dismiss the murder conviction, in order to protect the public from Mr. Parker for as long as possible, we resolved to bring any appropriate federal charges before the Arkansas Supreme Court’s final mandate would take effect,” U.S. Attorney Ross said.
“We did this by securing an indictment from a federal grand jury on April 5, 2023, against Mr. Parker for his receipt of a firearm while under a felony information. This case highlights the importance of working with our state and local partners to focus on prosecuting the most dangerous and violent offenders when no other options are available to the State of Arkansas. In an act of blatant disregard for human life, this defendant brutally murdered a Forrest City police officer in front of the officer’s family. Today’s sentence solidifies an intolerance to this senseless act of murder and the protection of the community from villains such as this defendant.
“Today’s sentencing means Demarcus Parker will not pose a risk to anyone else in the community,” said ATF Nashville Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson. “Protecting the lives of our law enforcement partners, like Officer Oliver Johnson, and the safety of our communities is one of the cornerstones of what our agency seeks to accomplish every day. This sentence highlights ATF’s commitment to protecting the public through vigorous enforcement of the federal firearms laws by identifying, arresting, and presenting for prosecution the perpetrators responsible for violent crimes committed in our communities.”
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with the assistance of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for the Second Judicial District. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Peters.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Jury Finds Searcy Man Guilty of Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Searcy man has been convicted of sex trafficking of a child at the conclusion of a two-day trial. On Wednesday, a federal jury found Muhammad Arif, 56, guilty on the sole count in the indictment: sex trafficking of children. Arif was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 4, 2020.
The jury returned their verdict after deliberating for approximately two hours. United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr. presided over the trial and will sentence Arif at a later date.
On August 9, 2019, the Judsonia Police Department received information alleging inappropriate sexual misconduct involving a 15-year-old minor female (Minor). The Minor was interviewed at the White County Child Safety Center. During the interview, the Minor disclosed that sometime during the end of May 2019 she accompanied her dad and his boss, Arif, to a business in Searcy. While there, Arif instructed one of his employees to drive the Minor’s dad to a different job site in Bradford. Because the Minor accompanied her dad that day, she would need a ride home. The Minor stated that Arif volunteered to drive her from Searcy to Judsonia in his private vehicle.
The Minor stated that once alone in the vehicle, Arif stated he would give her $100 in exchange for oral sex. The Minor stated she feared no one would believe her, so she began recording their conversation using her cell phone. During the recording, Arif is heard asking the Minor to promise not to tell anyone and gave her $20. The Minor had another recording from a month later where Arif continues to bring up engaging in sexual activity and asked her not to tell anyone.
On September 21, 2019, Arif was interviewed and acknowledged giving the Minor a ride to Judsonia in his private vehicle. He confirmed that he and the Minor were the only ones in the vehicle and that it was his first time meeting her. Arif acknowledged knowing that the Minor was a minor. During the interview, officers played the recordings and Arif confirmed he was the male on the recording. Arif stated he was embarrassed and began to express his concerns that people he was close would find out about the recordings.
Arif faces a minimum sentence of 10 years to life in federal prison, no less than five years supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with assistance from the Judsonia Police Department and the Kensett Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Bryant and Katie Hinojosa.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Felon Who Possessed Ammunition Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Quincy Martez Chambers, multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 30 years in federal prison for illegally possessing ammunition. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
A federal jury found Chambers, 32, of Cedar Hill, Texas, guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition on October 18, 2023. That conviction was based on Chambers shooting a former girlfriend outside of an apartment she visited, brandishing a firearm at a witness, and shooting multiple rounds of ammunition into an apartment unit where the victim and her young son sought refuge following her shooting.
“The sentence handed down by the judge underscores our goal to remove violent people who continuously terrorize the community and have no respect for the life of others,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Arkansas. “The collaboration of federal, state, and local partners is an integral partnership in the comprehensive strategy to make communities safer through an aggressive pursuit and prosecution of violent offenders.”
At Chambers’ sentencing hearing, Judge Moody heard arguments regarding Chambers’ history of violent felony and domestic battery convictions. At the hearing, Judge Moody determined that Chambers qualified as an Armed Career Criminal, which carries a sentence of not less than 15 years’ imprisonment, and not more than life imprisonment, a term of up to five years of supervised release, a fine of not more than $250,000, and a $100 special assessment. Judge Moody sentenced Chambers to 30 years imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. Chambers was not assessed a fine, but ordered to pay a special assessment of $100.
“Firearms possessed by violent felons, especially when involved in domestic abuse, frequently lead to an increase of violent crime within our communities,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today sends a message to the community that violent individuals will be held accountable as we work to keep our neighborhoods safe as a top priority for ATF.”
“Through collaboration and dedication, we stand united in our pursuit of justice. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all those involved in the criminal justice process, as we work together to serve and support the victims and their families,” said Chief Heath Helton, Little Rock Police Department. “The unwavering commitment of our partners as well as the men and women of the Little Rock Police Department is truly commendable.”
“Quincy Chambers’ sentence of 30 years in federal prison is a direct result of a collaborative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pine Bluff Police Department,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jarad O. Harper with the DEA Little Rock District Office. “Since January 2022, the DEA and Pine Bluff Police have been working together under Operation Overdrive, a nationwide DEA-led initiative to reduce violent crime in areas most deeply affected, like Pine Bluff. Chambers’ status as their top violent offender demonstrates the severity of his acts. This significant sentence is a testament to law enforcement’s unwavering commitment to protecting the public and reducing gun violence in our communities.”
“The appreciation for the U.S. Attorney’s Office cannot be stated enough. Local law enforcement leaders know that we are limited in many ways when it comes to prosecutions and sentencing. The connection to our federal partners to help us make our communities safer is an important and necessary component of what we do,” said Chief Denise Richardson, Pine Bluff Police Department. “The sheer determination of the AUSA in this case is to be commended. What they have truly done is made Pine Bluff safer and that is the ultimate goal for us.”
The investigation was conducted by the Little Rock Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda Fields and Bart Dickinson.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
Violent Career Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine ActualRead the Press Release
JONESBORO—Brandon Loss Farmer, a violent and multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 20 years in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine actual. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr.
On October 30, 2023, Farmer, 41, of Wynne, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine actual. Judge Marshall also sentenced Farmer to five years’ supervised released and a $100.00 special assessment. Farmer, who has multiple prior convictions for domestic violence, aggravated assault and battery, drug possession and distribution, and theft, was indicted on April 7, 2021, on one count of knowingly and intentionally distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine actual. The maximum penalty Farmer faced was 10 years to life imprisonment, a fine of $10,000,000, and not less than five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On November 19, 2020, an individual contacted Farmer by telephone to inquire about purchasing methamphetamine. Farmer advised the individual that he was not home but would return later in the day and could take care of the individual. A controlled purchase of approximately 130.6 grams of methamphetamine actual was made by the individual from Farmer.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Wynne Police Department.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Lancaster, Texas, Man Found Guilty of Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—After a two-day trial, a Texas man has been convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Tuesday, a federal jury found Kaeron Washington, 33, Lancaster, Texas, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, the sole count in the Indictment. Washington has previous convictions for aggravated robbery and drug possession.
After deliberating less than two hours, the jury returned a verdict of guilty. United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky presided over the trial and will sentence Washington at a later date. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment.
On February 18, 2022, physical surveillance was conducted at 7212 Geyer Springs Road, Little Rock, Arkansas. Law enforcement observed a group of individuals parked in front of a closed business on Geyer Springs at approximately 9:00 p.m. The occupants of the vehicle were observed smoking and passing items back and forth between vehicles for approximately 30 minutes. As investigators approached the vehicle, they activated their emergency lights and could smell an overwhelming odor of marijuana coming from the vehicles.
Contact was made with Kaeron Washington, the driver of a white Mercedes. As investigators approached the vehicle, Washington was observed opening the driver's door of the vehicle and throwing an item towards the rear of the vehicle. A bag of suspected marijuana was later located in the area. The passenger in Washington’s vehicle advised law enforcement officials that he had a gun at his feet. After the passenger was taken out of Washington’s vehicle, law enforcement seized the gun that was observed on the floorboard. An officer observed a small bag of suspected marijuana in the seat when the passenger exited the vehicle. During a further search of Washington’s vehicle, officers located a Glock pistol in the center console next to the driver’s seat.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Little Rock Police Department, and the GET Rock Task Force.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Family Dollar Stores LLC Pleads Guilty to Holding Consumer Products under Insanitary Conditions, Agrees to Pay $41.675 Million in Connection with Rodent-Infested WarehouseRead the Press Release
Family Dollar Stores LLC pleaded guilty today to holding food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics under insanitary conditions, related to a rodent infestation at the company’s West Memphis, Arkansas, distribution center.
A criminal information unsealed today in federal court in Little Rock, Arkansas, charged Family Dollar with one misdemeanor count of causing FDA-regulated products to become adulterated while being held under insanitary conditions. The company, a subsidiary of Dollar Tree Inc., entered into a plea agreement that includes a sentence of a fine and forfeiture amount totaling $41.675 million, the largest-ever monetary criminal penalty in a food safety case. The plea agreement also requires Family Dollar and Dollar Tree to meet robust corporate compliance and reporting requirements for the next three years. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jerome T. Kearney presided over the company’s guilty plea and sentencing at today’s hearing.
“When consumers go to the store, they have the right to expect that the food and drugs on the shelves have been kept in clean, uncontaminated conditions,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “When companies violate that trust and the laws designed to keep consumers safe, the public should rest assured: The Justice Department will hold those companies accountable.”
“Companies distributing and selling food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics must ensure that these products are being held in safe and sanitary conditions,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to work closely with the FDA to investigate and prosecute those who put public health at risk by failing to meet this important obligation.”
“Consumers trust that products purchased from retail stores such as Family Dollar are safe,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “It is incomprehensible that Family Dollar knew about the rodent and pest issues at its distribution center in Arkansas but continued to ship products that were unsafe and insanitary. Knowingly selling these types of products not only places the public’s health at risk but erodes the trust consumers have in the products they purchase. Products shipped and sold are required to be safe for consumers and the safety of Arkansans and others are extremely important to this office. Let me be clear, if you conduct business in Arkansas and allow the shipment or sale of unsafe and insanitary products, you will be held accountable.”
“U.S. consumers rely on the FDA to ensure that their food is safe and wholesome,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Kansas City Field Office. “When companies put themselves above the law and distribute food that has been held under extremely insanitary conditions, putting the public’s health at risk, we will see that they are brought to justice.”
In pleading guilty, the company admitted that its Arkansas distribution center shipped FDA-regulated products to more than 400 Family Dollar stores in Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee. According to the plea agreement, the company began receiving reports in August 2020 of mouse and pest issues with deliveries to stores. By the end of 2020, certain stores reported receiving rodents and rodent-damaged products from the warehouse. The company admitted that by no later than January 2021, some of its employees were aware that the insanitary conditions caused FDA-regulated products held at the warehouse to become adulterated in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).
According to the plea agreement, the company continued to ship FDA-regulated products from the warehouse until January 2022, when an FDA inspection revealed live rodents, dead and decaying rodents, rodent feces, urine, and odors, and evidence of gnawing and nesting throughout the facility. According to the plea agreement, subsequent fumigation of the facility resulted in the reported extermination of 1,270 rodents. On Feb. 18, 2022, the company voluntarily recalled all drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, and human and animal food products sold since Jan. 1, 2021 in the 404 stores that had been serviced by the warehouse.
The FDA-OCI investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Patrick Runkle and Trial Attorney Alisha Crovetto of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Peters and Cameron McCree for the Eastern District of Arkansas prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Violent Offender Who Illegally Possessed Firearm Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Montrel Hammond, a multi-convicted felon who has a violent criminal history, will spend over 17 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
On October 3, 2023, Hammond, 31, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Moody did not assess the defendant a fine but did sentence Hammond to also serve not more than five years of supervised released. Hammond, who has a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, was indicted on July 5, 2023, on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The maximum penalty Hammond faced was not less than 15 years and no more than life in prison and a fine of $250,000. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hammond’s sentence was based on the offense as well as his documented violent criminal history involving women and children. Hammond also has a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm as well as prior convictions for domestic battery, possession of a controlled substance, and residential burglary.
On October 27, 2022, Little Rock Police Department officers stopped a 2008 black Santa Fe that matched the description of a vehicle suspected in the breaking and entering of several other vehicles in the area. The driver, Montrel Hammond, was taken into custody and interviewed regarding his involvement in the suspected breaking or entering offenses. He admitted at that time to breaking into a 2021 Toyota Rav4 and stealing several credit cards. The defendant’s vehicle was searched and the stolen credit cards were located. During this search, a 9 mm firearm was found under the driver’s seat.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance of the Little Rock Police Department.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@EDARNEWS
North Little Rock Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Stolen Mail and Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A North Little Rock man was sentenced to 95 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Thursday, United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr., also sentenced James Diante Miller, 28, to 60 months’ incarceration for possession of stolen mail. Judge Moody ordered Miller to serve his sentences concurrently and also ordered him to serve three years supervised release.
On July 18, 2022, law enforcement officials conducted surveillance of the blue collection box located in front of the Westside Post Office located at 11415 Huron Lane, Little Rock, Arkansas. In the early morning hours, two individuals, later identified as Kobe Powell and Miller, arrived at the Westside Post Office in a black Ford Crown Victoria. Law enforcement observed Powell open the postal collection box. Law enforcement officers attempted to make contact, however Powell and Miller fled in the vehicle at a high rate of speed and eventually crashed into a residence. After the crash, Powell and Miller fled from the vehicle and were arrested by law enforcement. After Miller was arrested, a Glock firearm was found in his possession. Powell, who was not found to be in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment on September 20, 2023, for possessing stolen mail and a counterfeit check.
A two-count Superseding Information was filed on September 21, 2023, charging Miller with possession of stolen mail and being a felon in possession of a firearm. On that same day, Miller pleaded guilty to the charges in the Superseding Information. Judge Moody also ordered Miller to pay $1,650.00 in restitution. The maximum sentence faced by the defendant for possession of stolen mail was five years and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, it was 15 years. The defendant also faced a maximum fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, Little Rock Police Department, and Arkansas State Police.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@EDARNEWS
Little Rock Man Sentenced to Maximum 20 Years in Prison for ArsonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Little Rock man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for arson. United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky sentenced Trent Tyrone Smith, age 50, late Monday to the maximum sentence allowable under the federal statute based upon both his crimes in this case and his history of violence. Smith was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
“A maximum sentence was sought in this case because both the victim and the public deserve to be safe from this defendant for as long as the law would allow,” said Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Given this defendant’s depraved crimes in the present case and his violent criminal history, we are grateful that the Court agreed with our request for the maximum sentence and sentenced this defendant to 20 years in federal prison. Protecting victims and the public from violent criminals is our office’s number one priority, and so our office will not hesitate to continue to seek maximum prison sentences against criminals who use violence to destroy lives, businesses, and our fundamental right to safety.”
On March 3, 2022, the Little Rock Fire Department (“LRFD”) responded to several calls for service at two separate locations of The Grind Coffee Bistro: Pleasant Ridge Town Center, Cantrell Road, and East 21st Street, both in Little Rock, Arkansas. At the Pleasant Ridge Town Center location, the LRFD responded to a water flow alarm but were unable to locate the source. A water flow alarm is indicative a fire suppression sprinkler system is activated. Shortly thereafter, a fire was reported at the intersection of East 21st and Commerce Streets. Upon arrival of the LRFD, they found the front door locked but observed The Grind Coffee Bistro on fire and smoke in the windows of the business.
The LRFD responded a second time to The Grind Coffee Bistro’s location in the Pleasant Ridge Town Center later in the evening. Upon arrival, they could see smoke emitting from the business. The firefighters were able to enter through the unlocked front door of the business and observed two fires in the kitchen and one in the storage room. While extinguishing the fire, they located an overturned can of gas in the bathroom, which was similar to the two 2-gallon Scepter-brand gas cans Smith purchased from Walmart’s East McCain Boulevard location.
An investigation revealed that the owner (victim) of The Grind Coffee Bistro had recently ended her relationship with Smith. On February 26, 2022, Smith physically assaulted the victim. The following day, the victim changed the locks and Smith removed his personal belongings from the residence. On the same day as the fires, Smith attempted to contact the victim several times in the afternoon, and later that day, the juvenile son of the victim called his mother to advise her that their residence had been shot at, although it was later determined that an unknown object was used to strike the window. The victim returned to her residence at that time.
Through the investigation, it was learned that spare keys to the business were missing. It was also learned that Smith, who is on parole, drove a gold Buick Lacrosse that is registered to his mother. In a review of surveillance footage from the business’s Cantrell location, Smith is observed at the location from 9:21 p.m. until 9:43 p.m. and approximately one minute later, the LRFD was notified of a water flow activation alarm. The Fire Department was dispatched to a fire at the East 21st Street location, approximately 19 minutes after Smith departed the Cantrell location.
Smith has a substantial and violent criminal history. He was convicted in 2016 in Saline County for aggravated assault on a family or household member and terroristic threatening in the first degree after he attacked a victim, threatened to kill her, and drove a car into the residence attempting to strike her. Smith fled to Kentucky where he fled from law enforcement at speeds of 110 miles per hour and ultimately almost struck multiple officers with his vehicle, for which he was convicted of first-degree wanton endangerment. Smith also had prior convictions for aggravated assault and second-degree battery for an incident where multiple officers were injured, battery in the third degree involving domestic violence, and unlawfully possessing a firearm.
During the sentencing, the victim told the Court how hard she worked to build these businesses as a single mother and spoke about the violence inflicted by Smith against her. The victim indicated that she hoped to protect others from Smith by coming forward to speak.
Smith was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 5, 2022, in a two-count indictment charging him with use of a fire/explosive to damage or destroy property with injury to persons. He pleaded guilty to one count on July 25, 2023, and the remaining count was dismissed.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@EDARNEWS
Jury Finds Registered Sex Offender from Michigan Guilty of Interstate Travel to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity with A Minor; Sexual Exploitation of A Minor; And Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A registered sex offender from Michigan has been convicted of committing multiple sex offenses in Arkansas at the conclusion of a three-day trial. On Wednesday, a federal jury found Jeremy Robert Ward, 33, of Marine City, Mich., guilty on all nine counts for which he was indicted: one count of interstate travel with the purpose of enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity with a minor, six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of travel with the purpose to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.
The jury returned their verdict after deliberating for approximately 90 minutes. United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker presided over the trial and will sentence Ward at a later date. One of Ward’s charges carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.
“This defendant, who is already a convicted sex offender, continued this abhorrent behavior by acting on his desire to have sex with a minor. He used social media to seek out the victim and took advantage of her innocence,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “This verdict the jury reached sends a clear message that Arkansas juries will not hesitate to convict sex offenders for this type of conduct. If you seek to have sex with children, you will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent under federal law.”
Ward was previously convicted in 2013 in Michigan of three counts possession of child sexually abusive material and one count of accosting a child for an immoral purpose. He is a registered sex offender in Michigan.
Ward met the 12-year-old minor victim online in September 2022 when he added her to his Snapchat account. He exchanged messages with the victim for approximately three weeks before traveling to Arkansas from his home in Michigan to meet her. On October 15, 2022, he met her face-to-face when he drove up to her in his pickup truck while she was riding her bike near her neighborhood in Bryant. During her encounter with Ward, the victim began surreptitiously recording a portion of her exchange with him. On the video, Ward told her, “I was hoping to take you home” and “I just wish she [her mom] would let you go, especially since I drove all the way down here.” Ward also told the minor victim that she must “think I’m gonna kidnap you or something,” to which she replied, “You probably are about to at this point.” He later asked if she knew of any “private spots,” in an attempt to find a more secluded place to be with her.
Around the same time, using an application on her cell phone, her father noticed she was outside of the established boundary where she was permitted to be. Her parents went to her location, and her father found the minor victim laying in the grass with Ward, whose pants were around his ankles. Ward then fled into the woods.
The minor victim testified at trial that while she was in the field with Ward, he attempted to commit sexual acts with her. Subsequent investigation revealed that the victim and Ward communicated through video messages, some of which Ward recorded on his phone. The recorded video messages were recovered from Ward’s phone and included video and still images of the nude minor victim in the shower.
“Each year thousands of children are targeted and victimized by child predators. Mr. Ward’s heinous crimes highlight the prevalent threat Arkansas youth and families face,” said Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Corder of FBI’s Little Rock Field Office. “This case is yet another example of FBI Little Rock’s commitment to working with our partners to target individuals who seek to exploit the most vulnerable members of our community.”
The statutory penalty for sexual exploitation of a minor ranges from not less than 25 years to not more than 50 years. The statutory penalty for traveling with the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with a minor is not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life imprisonment. The statutory penalty for receipt of child pornography is not less than 15 years and not more than 40 years imprisonment. The statutory penalty for of travel with the purpose to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor is not more than 30 years imprisonment. All offenses of conviction include a potential penalty of not more than a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to life of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Bryant and Amanda Fields.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@EDARNEWS
Former Bryant High School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Transportation of A Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that a former Bryant High School teacher has pleaded guilty to transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of unlawful sexual activity. Heather Hare, 33, of Conway, entered this guilty plea earlier today before United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
Judge Rudofsky will sentence Hare at a later date. Transportation of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity is punishable by not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life imprisonment, and not less than five years of supervised release.
The investigation into Hare revealed that Hare taught Family Consumer Science classes at Bryant High School and met the minor victim on his first day of his senior year. Hare began one-on-one counseling sessions with the minor victim, eventually giving him her personal phone number and primarily communicating with him through Instagram and Snapchat.
Hare later told the minor victim that she had a dream of them having sex and gave him her home address in Conway. The minor victim and Hare had sex approximately 20 to 30 times throughout the 2021-2022 school term, including multiple times at her Conway residence, in her vehicle, and in her classroom and parking lots at Bryant High School.
Between April 21 and April 24, 2022, Hare was the sponsor and chaperone for a field trip to Washington, D.C., as part of an extracurricular activity related to the Family Consumer Science courses Hare taught. During the field trip, which included four students, of which the minor victim was the only male student, Hare and the minor victim engaged in the unlawful sexual activity to which she pleaded guilty.
“This former teacher took advantage of her position of trust and the vulnerability of a minor, using her role to entice and lure this minor into engaging in unlawful sexual activity,” Ross said. “Our office will continue to seek significant penalties against any educational professional who sexually abuse their students.”
Hare was indicted on August 1, 2023, and charged with one count of interstate/foreign travel for prostitution/sexual activity by coercion and one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. In exchange for her guilty plea, the remaining charge was dismissed.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Bryant Police Department, and Saline County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@EDARNEWS
U.S. Attorney's Office Collects $3,517,919.40 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross announced today that the Eastern District of Arkansas collected $3,517,919.40 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $3,417,560.11 was collected in criminal actions and $100,359.29 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Eastern District of Arkansas worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $278,701.75 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $6,690.49 was collected in criminal actions and $272,011.26 was collected in civil actions.
“On behalf of victims and taxpayers in the Eastern District of Arkansas, our Office’s Financial Litigation Program and Asset Forfeiture Unit aggressively work to ensure civil and criminal financial obligations are met,” Ross said. “The hard work put in these programs often goes unnoticed. I am extremely proud of their dedication and commitment to ensure victims justly receive compensation and assessed fines are paid.”
Following are two cases that represent the work the Eastern District of Arkansas does to recover money.
United States v. Marcus O. Millsap, Case No. 4:17-CR-00293-045 BSM (E.D. AR).
On May 26, 2023, Marcus Millsap was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to immediately pay $200,300 ($200k fine and $300 in assessments). Millsap failed to pay, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office was able to garnish the full $200,300 Judgment amount from a bank account belonging to Millsap. On August 30, 2023, the Court entered an Order directing the bank to pay the full $200,300 to the Clerk of Court.
Millsap, associated with the white supremacist gang New Aryan Empire, was a violent drug trafficker in Pope County and indicted in September 2019. After a jury trial, Millsap was found guilty of conspiracy to violate racketeering laws, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
United States v. Everett Martindale, Case No. 4:19-CR-00688 DPM (E.D. AR)
On June 30, 2023, Everett Martindale was sentenced to one year and a day in federal prison and ordered to pay $246,375.00 in restitution. Martindale paid a total of $197,375 towards his restitution shortly after sentencing. The Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) credited $51,000 that Martindale had already paid on a forfeiture money judgment towards the restitution judgment amount.
Martindale and six other defendants were involved in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Agriculture out of more than $11.5 million that was intended to benefit farmers who had been discriminated against. Martindale worked as an attorney and legal representative for most of the claimants recruited by other defendants.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Arkansas, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $226,132 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Little Rock Felon Who Possessed Firearm Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Chadwick Umfleet, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 10 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down Wednesday by United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
Umfleet, 40, of Jacksonville, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm on August 26, 2022. That conviction was based on a May 26, 2021, traffic stop by officers of the Jacksonville Police Department in which Umfleet was discovered with marijuana, methamphetamine, and a stolen Taurus 9mm handgun.
At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Judge Baker heard arguments regarding Umfleet’s three prior felony firearm convictions and six prior felony drug convictions, including Umfleet’s 2012 federal conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Judge Baker sentenced Umfleet to the maximum potential penalty for the current firearm offense - 10 years imprisonment with three years of supervised release to follow his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the Jacksonville Police Department with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Peters.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Little Rock Man Sentenced to Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—On December 18, 2023, United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky sentenced Dontarious Marquette Henderson, 28, to 70 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to the prison sentence of nearly six years, Judge Rudofsky sentenced Henderson, of Little Rock, to three years supervised released.
Henderson was indicted on September 8, 2022, on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He faced a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
On November 11, 2021, the Arkansas State Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop when Henderson failed to stop, activated his hazard lights, and ran through a red light, nearly striking a vehicle. The pursuit continued at speeds up to 90 miles per hour through the streets of Little Rock, Arkansas, when Henderson struck another person’s vehicle. Henderson pulled a backpack out of the vehicle and began to flee on foot. He was taken into custody and during a search, Troopers located a Ruger handgun magazine containing 17 rounds in Henderson's front pocket. A Ruger P89 pistol with an extended magazine inserted on the front seat passenger floorboard was also discovered in Henderson’s vehicle.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Arkansas State Police.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Pharmacy Burglary Conspirators Arraigned Tuesday in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK— Eighteen individuals from Texas who are accused of stealing more than $1.5 million worth of narcotics from numerous pharmacies in Arkansas were arrested in Houston on November 28, 2023, following an indictment returned in the Eastern District of Arkansas. Seven defendants appeared on charges Tuesday before United States Magistrate Judge Patricia S. Harris, and the remaining defendants are set to appear before United States Magistrate Judge Edie R. Ervin in Little Rock on January 16, 2024. The indictment charges conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Schedule II through V controlled substances, as well as pharmacy burglary, conspiracy to commit pharmacy burglary, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Keith Brown, 34, of Houston, Texas, and 17 others were named in this indictment related to “Operation #Richoffmeds.”
From February 2022 to November 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration Little Rock District Office (DEA LRDO) identified more than 20 pharmacy burglaries and thefts of pharmaceutical narcotics in Arkansas. In each of the burglaries, the suspects used similar methods of entry and tools, as well as matching clothing and unique footwear. The stolen pharmaceuticals—including oxycodone, hydrocodone, alprazolam, and promethazine with codeine cough syrup—were transported to Houston, Texas, where they were sold illicitly.
Intelligence developed by the DEA LRDO and the Houston Police Department Northeast Division Crime Suppression Team identified the drug trafficking organization as being comprised of documented local gang members from the 5th Ward area in Houston, Texas. The current case is similar in kind and scope to a previous case indicted in the Eastern District of Arkansas in 2016, in which 24 members of a local Houston 5th Ward gang, ‘The Trill Fam’, were prosecuted for multi-state pharmacy burglaries and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. During the present investigation, over 96,000 tablets of Schedule II controlled substances were stolen. The street value of all controlled substances stolen by the organization in the Arkansas burglaries is valued at close to $1.6 million. Investigators also seized six firearms, approximately $79,000 in U.S. currency, and custom jewelry retailing approximately $330,000.
“These defendants broke into pharmacies across Arkansas to steal narcotics that they then peddled on the streets,” stated Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “This case exemplifies the hard work put in by federal, state, and local agencies working together to infiltrate and dismantle violent gangs whose main mission is for profit and the destruction of communities. Our office is committed to prosecuting these defendants, and others like them, to the fullest extent of the law.”
“As alleged, these defendants went to extreme lengths to steal prescription drugs from a multitude of victim pharmacies,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley. “The criminal enterprise sought to profit off the people of Arkansas by diverting nearly 100,000 dosages away from those with legitimate medical needs. These defendants were likely driven by money, but the cost to public health and safety is priceless. DEA is committed to investigating the diversion of controlled pharmaceuticals and ensuring all Americans can access needed medications.”
The defendants arrested include Brown, Antoinen Hampton, 37, Donald Spencer, 34, Marcus Hargrove, 31, Reginald Jackson, 32, Vernon Baloney, Jr., 33, Edwin Burks, 50, Nicklaus Franklin, 31, Louis Johnson, III, 24, Nathan Kibble, 40, Joshua Delaney, 43, Fernando Riascos, Jr., 36, Alexis Garner, 31, Daron Livingston, 32, Jaiden Fowler, 23, Joshua Griffin, 21, Cierra Jackson, 30, and Jasmane Lincoln, 34, all from the greater Houston, Texas area.
The maximum sentence for the drug charges is not more than 20 years in federal prison.
Investigators with the DEA LRDO worked in conjunction with the following law enforcement partners:
DEA New Orleans Division (Little Rock District Office, Fayetteville Resident Office, Shreveport Resident Office, Mobile Resident Office),
DEA Special Operations Division,
DEA Houston Division (Houston TDS Group, Galveston Resident Office),
DEA Omaha Division,
DEA Rocky Mountain Division (Salt Lake City District Office, Cheyenne Resident Office),
DEA Atlanta Division (Columbia District Office),
DEA Miami Division (Pensacola District Office),
FBI Little Rock Field Office,
FBI Cast Team,
U.S. Marshals Service,
Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics,
Harris County Sheriff’s Office,
League City Police Department (Dickinson, TX),
Houston Police Department Northeast Division Crime Suppression Team,
Houston Police Department CID, and
Arkansas State Police.
The case is being prosecuted in the Eastern District of Arkansas by Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
An indictment contains only allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fire Bombings of Police VehiclesRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—All five members of a group responsible for the fire bombings of multiple police vehicles will spend time in prison for their crimes. On Thursday, Chief United States District Court Judge D.P. Marshall Jr. sentenced the final four defendants in a case dating back to August and September 2020, when the group, by its own words, resolved to “attack [] the institution of the American police structure” and destroyed property at five different police stations, which escalated to the use of incendiary weapons. The leader of the group, Mujera Benjamin Lung’aho, received a 5 ½-year sentence for his conduct, which involved the use of Molotov cocktails to burn police cars. The five defendants include:
Defendant
Age
Hometown
Sentence
Mujera Benjamin Lung’aho
33
North Little Rock, AR
66 months’ incarceration, $86,099.37 restitution
Brittany Dawn Jeffrey
34
Little Rock, AR
17 months’ incarceration, $529.30 restitution
Emily Nowlin
30
Little Rock, AR
18 months’ incarceration, $35,956.31 restitution
Aline A. Espinosa-Villegas
27
Little Rock, AR
18 months’ incarceration, $34,356.31 restitution
Renea Goddard
25
Little Rock, AR
18 months incarceration, $35,956.31 restitution
Jeffrey had previously been sentenced, while the other four were sentenced Thursday. In addition to the prison sentences, all defendants received terms of supervised release: Lung’aho 36 months; Nowlin, Espinosa-Villegas, and Goddard 24 months; and Jeffrey 18 months. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case is a result of numerous incidents of violence and vandalism that occurred in late August and early September 2020 and involved Lung’aho, Jeffrey, Nowlin, Goddard, and Espinosa. The investigation revealed that on August 25 and into August 26, 2020, Lung’aho, Jeffrey, and others traveled to the Little Rock Police Department (LRPD) Northwest Substation with Molotov cocktails and parked nearby; however, once the group noticed several officers in the area, they left the scene. Later, the group went to Shannon Hills, Arkansas, where a marked police car was parked. Several members of the group broke a window of the car, cut a tire, and stole a toolbox from the vehicle.
The group then traveled to LRPD’s 12th Street Substation. As some of the individuals broke patrol vehicle windows and slashed tires, Lung’aho and another individual threw Molotov cocktails at the LRPD patrol vehicles. According to surveillance video, a Molotov cocktail was lit but burned out as it was thrown over the fence. Two Molotov cocktails used that night were made at Jeffrey’s residence with gasoline, liquor bottles, and bed sheets. On the same day, the group went to the North Little Rock Police Department’s (NLRPD) Levy Substation and damaged several police cars’ tires.
In the early morning hours of August 28, 2020, Lung’aho, Goddard, Nowlin, and Espinosa traveled to the Arkansas State Police (ASP) Headquarters with Molotov cocktails. Lung’aho cut a section of a chain-link fence, and he and the others entered the property through the hole in the fence and vandalized multiple ASP vehicles, slashing 33 tires. Espinosa threw a Molotov cocktail, but it did not explode. Lung’aho threw a Molotov cocktail at a 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe patrol unit, and the device exploded. The explosion caused the vehicle to catch fire, resulting in the complete destruction of the vehicle.
On September 3, 2020, Lung’aho and others traveled to the Rose City Police Station in North Little Rock and threw a Molotov cocktail at a NLRPD police vehicle, destroying the vehicle. The Molotov cocktail was made from a liquor bottle and bed sheets, the same materials used in the attempted destruction of a patrol car on August 26, 2020. The fire was observed by officers at 3:20 a.m. and Lung’aho’s phone contained an image of the fire taken at approximately 3:10 a.m.
“There is no justification for violent acts targeting our law enforcement community. The use of Molotov cocktails to destroy law enforcement property is not a form of legitimate protest; rather, it is a troubling escalation of gratuitous violence that seeks to stoke embers of anarchy in our community, and it will not be tolerated in the Eastern District of Arkansas,” said United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross. “The Constitution protects our rights to peacefully assemble. But make no mistake, when you use violence to advance your agenda, the Department of Justice will make every effort to put you in prison. Anyone engaging in such criminal activity will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Lung’aho was originally charged in a complaint on September 14, 2020, and then indicted on October 6, 2020, on charges alleging conspiracy to commit arson and arson. On Feb. 3, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment adding the other four defendants, and adding numerous charges including conspiracy to commit arson, arson, and possession of unregistered destructive devices.
Lung’aho pleaded guilty on August 23, 2023, to arson, related to the firebombing of the NLRPD police car on September 3, 2020. On May 18, 2022, Jeffrey pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging her with conspiracy to possess an unregistered destructive device, a Molotov cocktail, and she was sentenced on December 12, 2022. On September 23, 2021, Espinosa-Villegas pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive device, a Molotov cocktail. Nowlin pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive device, a Molotov cocktail, on September 26, 2022. Goddard pleaded guilty on September 26, 2022, to a superseding information charging her with conspiracy to possess an unregistered destructive device, a Molotov cocktail.
“This investigation is an example of ATF working with law enforcement partners and the community to hold persons accountable that choose to engage in violent crime that threatens the safety of our shared community,” said ATF New Orleans Field Division Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “ATF will remain engaged with the law enforcement team and the public to best serve and protect our communities.”
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, North Little Rock Police Department, Little Rock Police Department, Arkansas State Police, and Shannon Hills Police Department.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available on-line at
http://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Former Judge, Defense Attorney, Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A man who has served as a county judge, prosecutor, and criminal defense attorney was sentenced to federal prison for possession of child pornography. On Wednesday, United States District Court Judge Billy Roy Wilson sentenced Daniel Arthur Stewart, 54, of Fort Smith, to 84 months in prison with 10 years of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
Stewart was originally indicted on January 8, 2019, on charges of attempting to entice a child to engage in sexual activity following an investigation into conduct that occurred between February 1, 2016, and March 19, 2016. On June 8, 2023, Stewart pleaded guilty to a superseding information that charged him with possession of child pornography related to the conduct.
The investigation revealed that on February 1, 2016, a Faulkner County police officer with an undercover profile answered an ad posted on Craigslist. The ad was searching for contact with a “young guy” or “son.” The undercover profile was that of a 42-year-old male with a 13-year-old son. The undercover officer responded to the ad by inquiring if the poster was interested in “family play,” a term commonly used to describe sexual contact between family combinations such as father/son or mother/daughter. When the poster responded positively, the communication then continued on Kik, which is an online messaging platform. The poster’s contact photo was identified as Stewart. A sexually explicit conversation followed that led Stewart indicating he would reserve a hotel room in Fort Smith for the purpose of Stewart having sex with the 13-year-old on March 19, 2016.
When Stewart entered the lobby of the Hampton Inn, he was taken into custody. Following Stewart’s arrest, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence and seized numerous electronic devices. On those devices, law enforcement found videos containing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct involving minors, including oral sex and anal penetration between minors and between minors and adults.
Stewart previously worked in the Sebastian County prosecutor’s office before serving as Sebastian County District Court Judge in Fort Smith. Following his time on the bench Stewart also worked as a public defender for Crawford County and more recently for Sebastian County.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Crews.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Seven Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison in $11.5 Million Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK— Seven defendants were sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Agriculture out of more than $11.5 million that was intended to benefit farmers who had been discriminated against. Chief United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr. sentenced the defendants earlier today.
Four of the defendants, all of whom are sisters, were each sentenced to serve 24 months in federal prison. Lynda Charles, 73, of Hot Springs; Rosie Bryant, 75, of Colleyville, Texas; Delois Bryant, 76, of North Little Rock; and Brenda Sherpell, 73, of Allport; each pleaded guilty on July 6, 2022, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and to defraud the Internal Revenue Service.
Niki Charles, 50, of Puerto Rico, was sentenced to serve 16 months in federal prison for her involvement in the fraud scheme. Charles admitted during her guilty plea that she and others solicited people to file false claims, asserting they were discriminated against when they tried to get assistance from USDA for their farming operations. Charles said she verified statements from corroborating witnesses who submitted affidavits to support the claims, but none of those witnesses actually appeared before Charles. Those actions resulted in $4.5 million in loss.
Everett Martindale, 76, of Little Rock, was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison. Martindale worked as an attorney and acted as the legal representative for most of the claimants that the five women recruited. Jerry Green, 42, of Grand Prairie, Texas, a tax preparer hired by the sisters to falsify tax returns, was also sentenced to a serve a year and a day.
As documented in plea agreements, the defendants submitted claims under two programs: the Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation (BFDL) settlement and the Hispanic and Women Farmers and Ranchers (HWFR) claim program. The BFDL settlement resulted from a class action lawsuit filed in 1997 in which a group of black farmers claimed they had been discriminated against when they applied for farm credit, credit servicing, or farm benefits from USDA. Similarly, the HWFR claim program was created after groups of Hispanic and women farmers filed separate lawsuits against USDA, also alleging discrimination in their farm benefit programs.
Both BFDL and HWFR resulted in a claims process where farmers who could show they had applied for participation in a USDA benefit program and believed they had been discriminated against could make a claim for financial relief. A successful claim resulted in an award of $62,500. Of that, $50,000 would be made payable to the claimant, and $12,500 would be transferred directly to the Internal Revenue Service as a tax withholding. Altogether, the sisters were involved with 192 claims, almost all of which were successful, resulting in a loss of over $11.5 million. The claims were false because the claimants had not suffered discrimination and, in most cases, had not even attempted to farm.
The indictment alleged that Martindale would deposit claim checks into his law firm trust account, issue a check from that trust account to the claimant, and withhold his attorney fee. For both BFDL and HWFR, attorney fees were restricted to $1,500 per claimant. The indictment alleged that the four sisters entered an agreement with Martindale in which they would split the attorney fee. The sisters also demanded and received additional money from the claimants themselves.
The money received from a claim was income that should have been reported on the claimant’s tax return. The sisters and their accountant, Green, admitted that Green provided tax preparation services for the claimants they recruited and that Green falsified the tax returns in order to create a tax refund.
Three of the sisters—Lynda Charles, Rosie Bryant, and Delois Bryant—filed false tax returns of their own and used money from the conspiracy to purchase homes and properties, a Chevrolet van, and a Mercedes G550. The United States is pursuing recovery of those assets, and any additional fraud proceeds used to purchase assets, in the criminal case, as well as in a separate civil forfeiture proceeding.
“These sisters defrauded two programs meant to help those that were discriminated against and instead lined their pockets,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., Special Agent in Charge IRS Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. “We want every American to take advantage of the programs, deductions, and credits to which they are entitled to by law; however, no one is entitled to defraud the government. Protecting taxpayer money is a matter IRS-CI takes extremely seriously and today’s sentences reinforce our commitment to the public that we will investigate and prosecute those who steal from American taxpayers.”
“Discrimination is real. The 192 settlement claims submitted by these defendants, requesting millions of dollars, were not,” said United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross. “Today’s sentences send the message that the United States is committed to prosecuting those who steal from programs designed to provide justice for victims of discrimination, and the Court takes seriously crimes such as these. We will continue to seek prison time for fraudsters who re-victimize those the government sought to make whole.”
Special Agent-in-Charge Dax Roberson from the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), said, “I want to thank the United States Attorney’s office, USDA-OIG Special Agents, and our investigative partners for their hard work on this investigation. When fraud is committed to deprive proper recipients of USDA funds, OIG will pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law.”
In addition to their sentences of imprisonment, each defendant was sentenced to two years of supervised release following imprisonment, and the defendants were ordered to pay more than $9,000,000 in restitution.
The investigation is being conducted by USDA-OIG and IRS-CI with assistance from the United States Marshals Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cameron McCree, Bart Dickinson, and Amanda Fields.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Camden Men Who Murdered Pawn Shop Owner During Robbery Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Two men who ended the life of a Pine Bluff pawn shop owner will spend the rest of their lives in a federal prison. On Tuesday, United States District Judge James. M. Moody, Jr., sentenced Daryl Strickland, Jr., 26, of Camden, and Rodney Henry, 25, also of Camden, each to sentences of life imprisonment.
Strickland, Jr., and Henry each pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence that resulted in murder following an incident that led to the death of Brandon McHan, the owner of Wise Buck Pawn Shop in Pine Bluff. During the same incident another store employee, Jason Booth, was shot in the face and severely wounded. The pair went on to rob a gas station at gun point an hour later. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The senseless, despicable, and evil murder of Brandon McHan and attempted murder of Jason Booth rendered an incalculable loss for the McHan and Booth families, and the communities of White Hall and Pine Bluff,” Jonathan Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, said. “We are grateful that Judge Moody’s pronouncements of life sentences for both defendants guarantee that no one else will be victimized by Mr. Strickland or Mr. Henry again. Our office remains committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to prosecute federal cases involving violent crime throughout the Eastern District of Arkansas any time doing so is in the best interest of our communities.”
“This was a tragic case that hit close to home, as ATF works closely with thousands of federal firearms licensees like Mr. McHan,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood. “Federal firearms licensees play a valuable role in making sure firearms are sold legally and kept out of the hands of prohibited individuals. We are proud of this collaborative effort and hope this sentence brings some peace to the family and the community.”
The investigation revealed and the defendants admitted that on November 12, 2018, at 5:22 p.m., Strickland Jr. and Henry knocked on the front door of Wise Buck Pawn Shop in Pine Bluff and asked if the store was still open. McHan told Strickland, Jr., and Henry through the locked front door that the store was closed for the night. The two then appeared to leave the area as McHan and Booth continued closing the store.
Soon after, when McHan and Booth had exited out the front door to start their cars and then returned to the store, Strickland, Jr., and Henry entered the threshold of the pawn shop. Strickland, Jr., fired several gunshots, striking both employees. Strickland, Jr., and Henry then retreated from the entrance of the store, but two minutes later, both returned to the front door and Strickland, Jr., again began shooting into the pawn shop. When McHan and Booth attempted to fire back, Strickland, Jr., retreated and Henry fired multiple gunshots into the pawn shop. Strickland, Jr., returned to the doorway of the pawn shop and fired more gunshots inside. Strickland, Jr., and Henry then left the scene.
Pine Bluff Police Department officers responded to the shooting at Wise Buck Pawn Shop and McHan and Booth were transported from the scene to Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff. McHan died from his injuries, which included three gunshot wounds. Booth was shot in the face near the chin area and the bullet exited through his neck, and he survived.
Approximately one hour after the incident at Wise Buck Pawn Shop, Strickland, Jr., and Henry entered the Alon gas station in Pine Bluff and held up the store clerk at gun point. Henry, while pointing a firearm at the store clerk, went behind the counter and emptied the cash register. Strickland, Jr., remained at the front of the counter, also holding the clerk at gunpoint. In addition to $800, Henry stole the store clerk’s firearm.
Strickland, Jr., and Henry were arrested and charged in connection with these two incidents on December 4, 2018. They were then indicted by a federal grand jury on October 3, 2019, on multiple charges stemming from both incidents, including interference, attempt to interfere, and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and murder while discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Strickland, Jr., eventually pleaded guilty on August 19, 2022, to a superseding information charging him and Henry with discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence that resulted in the death of a person through the use of the firearm, which killing is murder. Henry pleaded guilty to the same charge on September 27, 2022.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pine Bluff Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin H. Bryant and Benecia Moore prosecuted the case for the United States.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Paragould Man Who Shot at Police Officers Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Paragould man who admitted to shooting at police officers was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison today by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky, the maximum sentenced allowed by law.
On February 7, 2021, Paragould police officers observed Taj Harris, 23, walking near the area of Walnut Street and Second Street in Paragould. Officers knew Harris had an active warrant for his arrest. As an officer attempted to take Harris into custody, Harris pulled out a firearm and began shooting at the officer, forcing the officer to dive to the ground to avoid being shot. A second Paragould officer saw Harris shoot at the first officer and saw that officer dive to the ground. Believing the first officer had been hit, the second officer fired multiple shots at Harris, who then returned fire at the second officer.
Officers then pursued Harris on foot, who fled the scene. A civilian trapped Harris between a house and a fence by threatening him with a golf club and flagged down officers to make the arrest. Officers then located a stolen firearm with a large capacity magazine next to Harris’s feet. Harris is a convicted felon. The next day, in a phone conversation with his mother from the Greene County Jail, Harris admitted to his mother that he shot at police officers, and that he intended on shooting them if they tried to put their hands on him.
On July 6, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Harris for being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge that carries a maximum of 120 months’ imprisonment. Harris pleaded guilty to the charge on November 15, 2022. In addition to the 10 years in prison Harris must serve, he was sentenced to three years of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Paragould Police Department and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney J. William Crow prosecuted the case for the United States.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
North Little Rock Man Sentenced to Prison for Falsifying Disability ClaimsRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK— A North Little Rock man was sentenced to prison for submitting a falsified disability application to the Veteran’s Administration (VA) and receiving more than $91,000 in disability payments. Darold Maxfield, Jr., 30, was sentenced to four months in federal prison today by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
This is a case of stolen valor. In October 2018, Maxfield filed for disability benefits from the VA, alleging he sustained psychological trauma after he recovered the remains of a cadet who died while conducting a land navigation exercise at West Point Military Academy. At the time, Maxfield was enrolled at the United States Military Academy Prep School. Maxfield’s VA disability application was approved, and he began receiving $1,567 per month.
The VA was alerted of potential fraud regarding Maxfield’s benefit application in May 2020 after it was discovered that the physician’s signature on Maxfield’s disability benefit questionnaire had been cut and pasted onto Maxfield’s application from another application. Upon further investigation, agents were able to verify that, three days after Maxfield enrolled at the United States Military Academy Prep School, a cadet at West Point Military Academy died during a field training exercise. However, agents found no evidence that Maxfield was anywhere near the proximity where the remains were located; he was not on the land navigation course on the date of the cadet’s death; and the two cadets who did find the dead cadet’s remains stated they were the only two present when the body was located.
“Today, this defendant was held accountable for falsely claiming to be disabled in order to steal taxpayer dollars from a program meant to benefit deserving service-disabled veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s South Central Field Office. “The VA OIG is dedicated to ensuring the integrity of VA’s benefits programs and services. The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this case.”
On June 1, 2021, Maxfield was charged in an indictment with theft of public money and making a false statement or representation to a department or agency of the United States. Maxfield pled guilty to the indictment on January 19, 2023. Maxfield was sentenced to four months in prison on each count, to be served concurrently, three years of supervised release, and he was ordered to pay $91,651.70 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the Veterans Affairs – Office of the Inspector General and the Army Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorneys J. William Crow and Jana Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Former Little Rock Police Officer Convicted of Receipt of Obscene Images and Possession of Child Pornography After Three-Day Jury TrialRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK— A jury found former Little Rock Police Officer Eddie Scott Seaton, 55, of Cabot, guilty of receiving obscene images and possession of child pornography. The jury returned their verdict Thursday afternoon to Chief United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr., who presided over the three-day trial. Judge Marshall will sentence Seaton at a later date.
Testimony during the trial established that, on December 11, 2019, a Special Agent with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations downloaded child pornography from someone using an IP address that returned to Seaton in Cabot. Nineteen days later, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Seaton’s residence and seized electronic devices belonging to Seaton. A search of Seaton’s computer revealed almost 300 images of child pornography and over 120 images of obscene anime. The obscene anime depicted adults raping children and children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Law enforcement also located near Seaton’s computer stories handwritten by Seaton that described various instances of an adult female having sex with two minor boys. Those writings described many of the actions depicted in the obscene anime seized from Seaton’s computer.
"This case shows that even those who swear to uphold the law can violate it in the most despicable way," said United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross. "Commerce in sexually explicit images of children is not a victimless crime, and our office is committed to protecting those most vulnerable in our community. The jury today properly held Mr. Seaton accountable for his receipt and possession of images depicting the sexual exploitation of children."
The statutory penalty for receipt of obscene images is not less than five years and not more than twenty years imprisonment. The statutory penalty for possession of child pornography is not more than ten years imprisonment. Both offenses of conviction include a penalty of not more than a $250,000 fine and supervised release of not less than five years and not more than life.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Little Rock Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and Arkansas State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Bryant and John Ray White.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Life in Federal Prison for Pope County Drug Trafficker Associated with White Supremacist GangRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK— Marcus Millsap, 55, of Little Rock, was sentenced to life in federal prison for conspiracy to violate racketeering laws, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Millsap was sentenced earlier today by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
Millsap was indicted in September 2019 for his involvement in a white supremacist prison gang known as the “New Aryan Empire,” or NAE. NAE’s slogan is “to the dirt,” referring to the fact that members must remain in the organization until they die. Millsap was charged with, and ultimately convicted of, conspiracy to violate racketeering influenced corrupt organization laws, or RICO, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and drug conspiracy. Evidence at trial established that Millsap and others used the NAE as a corrupt organization to conduct racketeering activities, including drug distribution, solicitations of murder, and attempted murder.
At trial, the prosecution presented evidence that in May 2014, Millsap sold methamphetamine to an individual named Bruce Hurley, who was working as a confidential informant. Once Hurley completed the controlled purchase of methamphetamine and reported back to law enforcement, a traffic stop located more methamphetamine in Millsap’s vehicle. Millsap was convicted in the methamphetamine case, and while on an appeal bond, Millsap solicited members and associates of NAE to kill Hurley for his work in cooperating with law enforcement against Millsap. In January 2016, other NAE members attempted to murder Hurley. That attempt failed, and NAE members and associates continued attempting to arrange Hurley’s death. This conduct resulted in Millsap’s conviction for attempted murder in aid of racketeering.
“The United States will not tolerate the vile and outrageous crimes committed by members and associates of the New Aryan Empire or any other white supremacist group,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “If you are a member or associate of this or any other violent criminal organization, know that the United States will stop at nothing to dismantle and disrupt those who pose a threat to our communities and the future of our children, and the United States will seek significant prison sentences.”
In addition to the life sentence, Millsap was ordered to pay a $200,000 fine and was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release should he ever be released from prison. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Pope County Sheriff’s Office; the Russellville Police Department; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Arkansas State Police; 5th Judicial Drug Task Force; the Conway Police Department, and the Arkansas Army National Guard’s Counterdrug Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Liza Brown and Stephanie Mazzanti.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Fentanyl Traffickers Arraigned Today in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK— Nine people appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Joe. J. Volpe after being arrested Tuesday morning on charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl between June 2022 and March 2023. Andre Kimble, 40, of Little Rock, and nine others were named in this latest round of indictments related to “Operation Hartbreak Kid.”
Kimble led a large-scale fentanyl-trafficking organization, which sold the drug from various motels in the Little Rock area. The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, in cooperation with the Little Rock Police Department, the North Little Rock Police Department, the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections, and the Arkansas State Police. Throughout the investigation, law enforcement seized eight firearms and more than $20,000. Several of the defendants charged have multiple prior felony convictions and, should they be convicted, will be facing enhanced penalties for drug trafficking and possessing firearms.
The defendants arrested include Kimble, Jerry Wesley, 64, Henry White, 31, Eric James, 43, Frankie Webb, 44, Giovaughnie Criswell, 42, Amethyst Schmued, 33, Shelton Graham, 33, and Billy Joe Cooksey, 40, all of Little Rock. One defendant remains at large. In addition to drug conspiracy charges, some defendants are also facing charges for possession of a firearm by a felon, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and money laundering. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
An indictment contains only allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Former Preschool Teacher's Assistant Sentenced to 90 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK— Augustus “Gus” Shenker, 23, of Little Rock was sentenced to serve the next 90 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. Shenker was sentenced earlier today by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
In May 2021, FBI received a cyber tip that Dropbox user Augustus Shenker, using an email address that contained his name, possessed seven videos containing child pornography. Investigators determined Shenker’s address and learned that he was employed at Miss Selma’s School in Little Rock, an early education school with children from 18 months old to fifth grade.
FBI agents obtained a search warrant for Shenker’s home and made contact with him at the school where he worked. Law enforcement seized Shenker’s iPhone and advised him a search warrant was being executed at his residence.
A review of items seized from Shenker’s residence revealed six videos created in March 2021 that showed Shenker touching the buttocks and vagina of a preschool-age child in a classroom at Miss Selma’s School. His iPhone contained a hidden folder with 19 additional videos, all of which were taken in the same preschool classroom where Shenker worked. Shenker’s face is visible in several of the videos. In addition to the videos of abuse that Shenker produced himself, law enforcement located more than a thousand images of child sexual abuse on Shenker’s phone and other devices. Shenker later admitted making the videos of the preschool-age children during nap time.
Shenker was first charged in a criminal complaint on May 18, 2021, when the FBI received the initial cyber tip. On June 1, 2021, after the discovery of the videos on his phone, a federal grand jury returned an indictment, charging Shenker with 22 counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Shenker pleaded guilty to three counts of production of child pornography in December 2022. Judge Rudofsky sentenced Shenker to the maximum of 30 years on each count, to run consecutively, for a total of 90 years. In addition to the 90-year prison term, Shenker was sentenced to life of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
“We are grateful that Judge Rudofsky imposed the maximum sentence allowed by the law against Mr. Shenker,” said United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross. “This sentence ensures that Mr. Shenker will spend the rest of his life in prison, which means he will never harm another child. In the Eastern District of Arkansas, we will not waste time empathizing with adults who have a sexual interest in children, but rather resolve to fully investigate and prosecute each and every child predator. Our office, the FBI, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will maintain our commitment to make sure that every criminal that harms and exploits children will be brought to justice.”
“As an educator, Mr. Shenker was entrusted to support and protect our children,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson. “Instead, he chose to exploit and manipulate the very children he was hired to teach. Today’s sentence ensures he will never again victimize our community. FBI Little Rock will continue to utilize all resources to protect innocent youth from predators who seek to harm them.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Little Rock Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 158 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK— A Mexican citizen who returned to the United States after being previously deported was sentenced to serve 13 years and 2 months in federal prison for illegal reentry. Wednesday afternoon, United States District Judge Brian S. Miller sentenced Cristobal Palomerez-Heredia, 45, of Mexico, to 158 months’ imprisonment.
On March 18, 2020, officers with the Star City Police Department responded to a shots-fired call. When officers arrived, they found Palomerez-Heredia pacing back and forth, appearing aggressive and agitated. While trying to detain Palomerez-Heredia, he charged the officer, punching, scratching, and headbutting the officer multiple times causing injuries to the officer’s mouth, jaw, forearm, and hand. Palomerez-Heredia was eventually subdued and taken into custody.
On September 2, 2021, Palomerez-Heredia was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with illegal reentry. Palomerez-Heredia had been previously deported to Mexico in September 2012.
On September 22, 2021, officers with the Star City Police Department again responded to a shooting call. When officers arrived at the residence, Palomerez-Heredia began shooting at them from his front door. Officers took protective positions as Palomerez-Heredia continued to fire rounds at them. After backup arrived, officers were able to take Palomerez-Heredia into custody. During the execution of a search warrant at the residence, officers located a loaded .22 caliber rifle with a scope, 24 spent .22 shell casings, and an additional loaded magazine. On that same day, agents with the Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (DHS-ICE) positively identified Palomerez-Heredia and arrested him on a federal warrant.
Palomerez-Heredia has prior federal criminal convictions for illegal alien in possession of a firearm (2006) and deported alien found in the United States (2011). Palomerez-Heredia received a 12-year sentence for attempted murder in the Circuit Court of Lincoln County, Arkansas, stemming from the shootout on September 22, 2021.
In addition to the 158-month prison sentence, which Judge Miller ordered to run consecutive to Palomerez-Heredia’s 12-year sentence for attempted murder, Judge Miller sentenced Palomerez-Heredia to serve three years of supervised release following imprisonment. The only condition of Palomerez-Heredia’s supervised release is that he not return to the United States after deportation. The case was investigated by the Star City Police Department and Officer Charles Davis with DHS-ICE; the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Crews.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Former Arkansas State Senator Sentenced for Role in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A former Arkansas state senator was sentenced yesterday to four years and two months in prison in the Western District of Missouri for accepting multiple bribes in connection with a multi-district investigation spanning the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas and the Western District of Missouri.
Pursuant to his global plea agreement, Jeremy Hutchinson, 48, of Little Rock, pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019, in the Eastern District of Arkansas to filing a false tax return; pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019, to an information filed in the Western District of Arkansas to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery; and pleaded guilty in the Western District of Missouri on July 8, 2019, to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. On Feb. 3, Hutchison was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison for his convictions in the Eastern District of Arkansas and Western District of Arkansas. His sentence in the Western District of Missouri will run consecutive to the previous sentence for a total of eight years in prison.
According to court documents in connection with his plea in the Western District of Missouri, Hutchinson was hired by then-chief operating officer Bontiea Goss as outside counsel for Preferred Family Healthcare Inc. (formerly known as Alternative Opportunities Inc.), a Springfield, Missouri-based healthcare charity. In exchange for payments and legal work, Hutchinson performed official acts on behalf of Preferred Family Healthcare, including holding up agency budgets and drafting and voting on legislation. Preferred Family Healthcare paid Hutchinson more than $350,000 in monthly retainer payments from May 2014 until 2017.
In 2022, Preferred Family Healthcare agreed to pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government and the state of Arkansas under the terms of a non-prosecution agreement, in which the company admitted to the criminal conduct of its former officers and employees.
Several former executives from the charity, former members of the Arkansas state legislature, and others have pleaded guilty in federal court as part of the long-running, multi-jurisdiction investigation, including the following:
- Former Chief Operating Officer Bontiea Goss, previously of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to her role in a conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
- Former Chief Financial Officer Tommy “Tom” Ray Goss, husband of Bontiea Goss, and also previously of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to participating in the conspiracy by embezzling funds from the charity, as well as by paying bribes and kickbacks to elected public officials in Arkansas. Tom Goss also pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false tax return.
- Former Chief Executive Officer Marilyn Luann Nolan of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty in November 2018 to her role in a conspiracy to embezzle and misapply the funds of a charitable organization that received federal funds.
- Former Director of Operations and Executive Vice President Robin Raveendran of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty in June 2019 to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
- Former executive and head of clinical operations Keith Fraser Noble of Rogersville, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September 2019 to concealment of a known felony.
- Former employee and head of operations and lobbying in Arkansas Milton Russell Cranford, aka Rusty, of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of federal program bribery.
- Political consultant Donald Andrew Jones, aka D.A. Jones, of Willingboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in December 2017 to his role in a conspiracy to steal from an organization that receives federal funds.
- Former Arkansas State Representative Eddie Wayne Cooper of Melbourne, Arkansas, pleaded guilty in February 2018 to conspiracy to embezzle more than $4 million from Preferred Family Healthcare.
- Former Arkansas State Senator and State Representative Henry “Hank” Wilkins IV was sentenced in January 2023 for his role in a conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and devising a scheme and artifice to defraud and deprive the citizens of the state of Arkansas of their right to honest services.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas, U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas, U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore for the Western District of Missouri, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub of the FBI Kansas City Field Office, Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson of the FBI Little Rock Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) St. Louis Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI, IRS-CI, the Offices of the Inspectors General from the Departments of Justice, Labor, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation investigated the cases.
Senior Litigation Counsel Marco A. Palmieri, Director of Enforcement & Litigation for the Election Crimes Branch Sean F. Mulryne, and Trial Attorney Jacob Steiner of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Mazzanti for the Eastern District of Arkansas; Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Eggert and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Kempf for the Western District of Missouri; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron L. Jennen and Steven M. Mohlhenrich for the Western District of Arkansas are prosecuting the separate criminal cases. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Harris for the Eastern District of Arkansas and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Wulff for the Western District of Arkansas provided significant assistance.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Fayetteville man was sentenced to serve 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. Steven Luckett, 38, was sentenced earlier today by United States District Court Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
In October 2020, the Fayetteville, Arkansas, Police Department began investigating allegations that five minor children were being sexually assaulted by Steven Luckett while they lived in Little Rock. A number of the minor victims were interviewed and disclosed that Luckett sexually assaulted them over the course of several years and, on some occasions, had taken videos of them performing sex acts or had taken nude photos of them. One of the minor victims told investigators that the abuse began when she was six years old and continued until she was 13.
Based on the allegations made by the victims, investigators interviewed Luckett and seized his cell phone. Luckett admitted filming a video of him having sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl and admitted sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl. Later, a search warrant was obtained for Luckett’s cell phone, which revealed numerous pictures and videos of child pornography. The images of child pornography had been both downloaded from the internet and produced by Luckett.
Luckett was indicted in November 2020 and pleaded guilty in December 2022. In addition to the 30-year prison term, Luckett was sentenced to life of supervised release following his imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Fayetteville Police Department, the Little Rock Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Arkansas Doctor Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Federal Prison for Accepting Kickbacks, Defrauding TRICARE, and Failed Attempts to Obstruct InvestigationRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—An Arkansas doctor at the heart of a $12 million scheme to defraud TRICARE will spend the next 102 months in federal prison. Earlier today, United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker sentenced Joe David May, a.k.a. Jay May, 42, of Alexander, to 102 months’ imprisonment and ordered him to pay more than $4.63 million in restitution to TRICARE, the health insurer for our nation’s military.
A 2020 indictment charged May with twenty-two counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, violating the anti-kickback statute, lying to the FBI, falsifying records, and aggravated identity theft. After a six-day trial in June 2022, a jury convicted May on all twenty-two counts.
Proof at trial showed May stood at the center of a bogus prescription-drug assembly line and, later, went to great lengths in a failed bid to cover it up.
As part of the scheme, recruiters found military personnel and veterans with TRICARE and filled out prescriptions for compounded drugs in their names—selecting which drugs to supply (usually the most expensive) and how many refills to authorize. All that was missing were prescriber signatures. So, middlemen routed the pre-filled prescriptions to medical professionals, like May, to be rubber stamped without consulting the ‘patient’ or any regard for whether drugs were needed. TRICARE paid over $12 million for prescriptions generated in this scheme, part of a wave of fraudulent schemes around the country that saw TRICARE spend over $2 billion for compounded prescription drugs in 2015.
In exchange for thousands in cash kickbacks, May rubber stamped 226 prescriptions for which TRICARE paid over $4.63 million. All but one of his prescriptions were for ‘patients’ May did not know, never treated, and knew nothing about.
Following the execution of search warrants at compounding pharmacies around the country, May visited the FBI to answer questions about his prescriptions. May lied by claiming he only signed prescriptions for people he evaluated and denying he received kickbacks. Obstruction continued when May got a subpoena for prescriptions and related ‘patient’ records. May turned over but a fraction of the prescriptions he signed and fabricated medical records to make it seem like the drug recipients were really his patients. Finally, as trial approached, May tried to mischaracterize a $5,000 cash kickback as Oaklawn winnings from the 2015 Arkansas Derby.
All nine of May’s co-conspirators pled guilty to conspiracy and elected to cooperate with federal law enforcement, with several testifying at trial. All but one co-conspirator has been sentenced:
Name
Age
Hometown
Case No.
Sentence
Derek Clifton
41
Alexander, Ark.
4:20-CR-25
51 mos. imprisonment, $1.1M forfeiture
Albert Glenn Hudson
42
Sherwood, Ark.
4:20-CR-129
48 mos. imprisonment, $1.5M forfeiture
Donna Crowder
68
North Little Rock
4:20-CR-130
12 mos. 1 day imprisonment, $18K fine
Jennifer Crowder
40
Little Rock
4:20-CR-131
12 mos. home confinement, $89K forfeiture
Keith Benson
52
North Little Rock
4:20-CR-132
15 mos. imprisonment, $727K forfeiture
Kenneth Myers, Jr.
44
Maumelle, Ark.
4:20-CR-25
3 years probation, $68K forfeiture
Keith Hunter
54
Little Rock
4:20-CR-235
TBD
Through the prosecution of May and his nine co-conspirators, the United States has recovered nearly $8 million in restitution, forfeiture, and fines.
“Our healthcare system is built on trust, and those who abuse it do so at their peril,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Dr. May accepted kickbacks, cheated TRICARE, and tried to deceive federal agents investigating his crimes. Now, he will trade hospital scrubs for a prison uniform. Let his case serve as a warning to others in the medical industry. Our office and our partners at the FBI and HHS-OIG are committed to rooting out anyone who succumbs to the temptation of ‘easy money.’”
“By defrauding TRICARE, Dr. May stole from our service men and women, military retirees, and their families. He robbed Americans who had sworn an oath to defend our nation, and he pickpocketed American taxpayers,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson. “Today’s sentencing induces accountability, and demonstrates there is no place in our society for the behavior exhibited by Dr. May. The FBI and its partners will continue to aggressively investigate those who undermine the integrity of our nation’s healthcare system.”
“Federal healthcare programs rely on the honesty and integrity of doctors to prescribe medically necessary medications to their patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “On the contrary, Dr. May signed pre-filled prescriptions filled out by a pharmaceutical rep for patients he had no doctor-patient relationship with and all on the backs of the American taxpayer. HHS-OIG is laser-focused on investigating doctors and other medical professionals who lie, cheat, and steal from American taxpayers for their own personal benefit, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold them accountable.”
In addition to the 102-month prison sentence, Judge Baker sentenced May to three years’ of supervised release following imprisonment. May was also ordered to pay more than $4.63 million in restitution and a $2,200 special assessment. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and HHS-OIG. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander D. Morgan and Stephanie G. Mazzanti.
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
35 Years in Federal Prison for Convicted Cocaine TraffickerRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Saline County man was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Thursday afternoon, United States District Judge Brian S. Miller sentenced O.C. Rawls, 50, of Benton, to 420 months’ imprisonment.
The case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration into the drug-trafficking activities of Rawls and several others beginning in January of 2019. Using a confidential informant, DEA agents made three controlled purchases of cocaine from Rawls. During the investigation, agents learned that Rawls and other members of his drug-trafficking organization were traveling to Houston, Texas, to purchase kilograms quantities of cocaine for redistribution in the central-Arkansas area. In May 2019, agents executed search warrants at Rawls’ residence and the residences of several co-conspirators. Agents recovered cocaine, marijuana, firearms, ammunition, and approximately $19,000 in cash.
Rawls was charged in November 2019 with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, and three counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine. The defendant was convicted after a two-day jury trial in July 2022.
Rawls has a prior federal criminal conviction for possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, for which he received 150 months’ imprisonment in 2006. He received a sentencing enhancement in this case for committing another drug-trafficking offense.
In addition to the 35-year prison sentence, Judge Miller sentenced Rawls to serve ten years of supervised release following imprisonment and pay a $400 special assessment. There is no parole in the federal system.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 27 Years in Prison for Attempted Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A repeat and dangerous sex offender against children was sentenced this afternoon for attempted enticement of a minor. United States District Court Judge Jay Moody sentenced Joe Newman, 64, of Star City to more than 27 years in federal prison and, should he survive his prison sentence, supervised release for the rest of his life.
In early 2020, Star City Police Department began investigating Newman after the mother of a 10-year-old girl reported sexually explicit messages that were being sent to her daughter by Newman on Instagram. Law enforcement initiated a ruse using the child’s Instagram account and agreed to meet Newman. Newman then sent law enforcement a nude picture of himself, believing law enforcement was the child victim. Newman was traffic-stopped on his way to meet the victim, and his telephone was seized.
Investigation of Newman’s Instagram account revealed conversations between himself and numerous other minors, to whom he sent nude pictures of himself. In an interview with law enforcement, Newman admitted to messaging 20 to 30 underage girls in the Lincoln County, Arkansas, area. In addition, Newman admitted performing oral sex on and receiving oral sex from nine victims, ages eight to 13.
Newman is a registered sex offender with several prior convictions for violent sex offenses against children under the age of 16. Newman was originally indicted by a grand jury on December 1, 2020, and charged with four counts related to child pornography, as well as the attempted enticement charge. On Wednesday, Judge Moody sentenced Newman to 327 months’ imprisonment, plus lifetime supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the Star City Police Department and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Operation "Candyland" Leads to Multiple Drug Arrests in Marianna and Forrest CityRead the Press Release
MARIANNA—A coordinated arrest operation took place this morning in Marianna and Forrest City as part of an ongoing federal drug investigation. Dubbed “Operation Candyland,” this investigation by the FBI, Arkansas State Police, the First Judicial Drug Task Force, and the St. Francis County Sheriff’s Office, focused on individual independent distributors of methamphetamine and cocaine in Lee and St. Francis Counties.
Law enforcement began early this morning by searching for six suspects, all of whom were indicted for federal drug-trafficking crimes. Two others, who were already in custody when this morning’s roundup began, were also indicted. Five of the suspects were taken into custody: Eddie Bonner, 27, of Marianna, is charged with four counts of distribution of methamphetamine; Lance Hendrix, 39, of Marianna, is charged with four counts of distribution of methamphetamine; Leonard People, 26, of Marianna, is charged with one count of distribution of cocaine; Cedric Woods, 46, of Marianna, is charged with two counts of distribution of cocaine; and Jeremy Buchanan, 32, of Forrest City, is charged with one count of distribution of cocaine. Alfred Bonner, 28, of Marianna, and Clenton Wofford, 42, of Pine Bluff, are in custody stemming from unrelated criminal charges. Alfred Bonner is charged federally, along with Eddie Bonner, with drug conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine. Wofford is charged federally with one count of distribution of methamphetamine. Most of the defendants who were arrested this morning will appear tomorrow afternoon for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Patricia S. Harris.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Peters.
An indictment only contains allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Life Sentence for Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Palestine man was sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a six-year-old child. Mario Waters, 34, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
In February 2018, a six-year-old child was taken to Arkansas Children’s Hospital due to symptoms that were later determined to be caused by several sexually transmitted diseases. The child was interviewed by an FBI forensic interviewer and disclosed that a man, later determined to be DeMarcus George, had raped her. The child also disclosed that another man, later determined to be Mario Waters, had also raped her. The child told interviewers that the rape occurred in a hotel room with a curtain in the middle of the room, and she described a picture hanging on the wall in the hotel room. According to the child, on at least one occasion, Waters came to the hotel room where she was with George; Waters raped her; and Waters gave George money.
Law enforcement was able to locate a hotel in Little Rock that matched the description provided by the minor, including the picture on the wall and the curtain in the room. Financial records from the hotel showed that the minor’s mother had rented a room at the hotel in March 2018 and paid with a credit card. The child has since been removed from the mother’s custody.
Doctors at Arkansas Children’s Hospital determined that it was unlikely the child had obtained each sexually transmitted disease from the same offender and that there were likely multiple offenders. Officers obtained search warrants for George and Waters’ blood and urine. Results indicated that George and Waters tested positive for sexually transmitted diseases that the minor had contracted.
Both George and Waters were indicted in September 2019, and both pleaded guilty in November 2021. Both defendants admitted in court that they had sexual contact with the minor and were involved in trafficking her with others. George was sentenced to life in prison on October 25, 2022. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Little Rock Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant prosecuted the case.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Bigelow Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Bigelow man was sentenced to serve 25 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. Jakob Brown, 26, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Brian S. Miller.
In April 2020, Conway Police Department received a report about a male harassing and extorting a female victim on Facebook and SnapChat. The user of those social media accounts was determined to be Brown, who is a registered sex offender. Brown was arrested for sexual extortion, and his phone was seized. A search of Brown’s cell phone revealed 18 videos and 87 images of child sexual abuse material. Several of the videos were of prepubescent females approximately four-to-five years old performing sex acts. The FBI then obtained search warrants for Brown’s SnapChat accounts and discovered conversations Brown had with a minor female victim, beginning in February 2020.
During Brown’s conversations with the minor female victim on SnapChat, Brown offered to pay the minor for sexually-explicit videos, stating “everything has to show face and send the pictures and videos to chat.” After some discussion, the minor sent a 35-second video of herself engaged in explicit sexual conduct to Brown, as directed.
Brown was indicted in December 2020 and pleaded guilty in June 2022. In addition to the 25-year prison term, Brown was sentenced to 20 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Conway Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Mitcham Lorence Admitted to American College of Trial LawyersRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Lindsey Mitcham Lorence, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is now a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America.
The induction ceremony at which Lindsey became a Fellow took place recently before an audience of approximately 525 during the Spring Meeting of the College in Key Biscayne, Florida.
Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship.
Membership in the College cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province. There are currently approximately 5,800 members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, including active Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Judicial Fellows (those who ascended to the bench after their induction) and Honorary Fellows. The College maintains and seeks to improve the standards of trial practice, professionalism, ethics, and the administration of justice through education and public statements on independence of the judiciary, trial by jury, respect for the rule of law, access to justice, and fair and just representation of all parties to legal proceedings. The College is thus able to speak with a balanced voice on important issues affecting the legal profession and the administration of justice.
Lindsey has been practicing in Little Rock for twenty-six years. The newly inducted Fellow is an alumna of the William H. Bowen University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law, where she is now an adjunct professor. Before joining the United States Attorney’s Office as an Assistant United States Attorney in the civil division, Lindsey was a law clerk for retired Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza, worked as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the 6th Judicial District and was a Partner at Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Four Charged After A Mail Theft Sting OperationRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Four individuals have been charged by federal criminal complaint for their alleged involvement in stealing mail from blue postal collection boxes in central Arkansas. Over the weekend, law enforcement conducted numerous sting operations at a number of post office locations. In the early morning hours on Monday, agents arrested Javion Trevon Dozier, 19, Gilpre Flowers, 23, and Jamoun Young, 23, all of North Little Rock. A fourth person remains at large. The three individuals in custody had their initial appearance Wednesday afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Edie R. Ervin after criminal complaints were filed.
This mail theft investigation began last spring when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Little Rock Police Department began receiving complaints from individuals and businesses in the central Arkansas area that their mail was being stolen. Law enforcement estimates that there have been more than 700 reported victims of mail theft and forgery in connection with this ongoing investigation.
“The arrests in this case demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to ensure the public’s trust in the Postal Service, its brand, and the U.S. mail,” said Thomas Noyes, Inspector in Charge, Fort Worth Division. “We will continue to dismantle groups responsible for stealing mail and committing fraud. I’d like to thank the Postal Inspectors, Little Rock Police Department, Arkansas State Police, Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney Office, Eastern District of Arkansas, for their diligence and dedication in this investigation.”
“If you steal United States mail, you should expect to go to a United States courthouse. Your crimes are federal crimes and will be prosecuted as such,” United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross said. In addressing steps the public should take to ensure safe delivery of their mail, Ross stated, “For all of you who would like to see your mail get to where it’s going, take your mail into the post office. If you must deposit your mail in the blue box, please do so before the last posted collection time, and do not use blue boxes on weekends or federal holidays.”
Conspiring to steal mail and theft of mail carry statutory penalties of not more than five years imprisonment. All charges carry a fine of not more than $250,000 and not more than three years of supervised release.
The case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Arkansas State Police, and the Little Rock Police Department. A criminal complaint only contains allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Former Arkansas State Senator Sentenced for Bribery and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former Arkansas State Senator was sentenced today to 46 months in prison in the Eastern District of Arkansas for accepting multiple bribes and tax fraud in connection with a multi-district investigation spanning the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas and the Western District of Missouri.
Pursuant to his global plea agreement, Jeremy Hutchinson, 48, of Little Rock, pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019, in the Eastern District of Arkansas to filing a false tax return; pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019, to an information filed in the Western District of Arkansas to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery; and pleaded guilty in the Western District of Missouri on July 8, 2019, to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery.
According to court documents, from 2010 through 2017, Hutchinson stole and misappropriated thousands of dollars in state campaign contributions for his own personal use and then filed false federal income tax returns from 2011 to 2014 to conceal his conduct. In addition, Hutchinson was hired as outside counsel by Dr. Benjamin Burris, an orthodontist who owned and operated orthodontic clinics throughout the state of Arkansas. In exchange for payments and legal work, Hutchinson pushed legislation beneficial to Burris. Hutchinson was provided legal work to conceal the corrupt nature of his arrangement. Hutchinson stole over $10,000 in state campaign funds for his own personal use and also falsified his 2011 tax returns, including failing to report $20,000-per-month-payments he received from one law firm and other sources of income he knowingly and intentionally concealed from his taxes.
Hutchinson is still pending sentencing in the Western District of Missouri for his role in a separate multimillion-dollar public corruption scheme that involved embezzlement, bribes, and illegal campaign contributions for elected public officials. According to court documents, Hutchinson accepted bribes in the form of monthly legal retainers and other things of value from employees and executives of Preferred Family Healthcare Inc. (formerly known as Alternative Opportunities Inc.), a Springfield, Missouri-based health care charity. In exchange for the bribes, Hutchinson provided favorable legislative and official action for the charity.
In 2022, Preferred Family Healthcare agreed to pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government and the state of Arkansas under the terms of a non-prosecution agreement, in which the charity admitted the criminal conduct of its former officers and employees.
Several former executives from the charity, former members of the Arkansas state legislature, and others have pleaded guilty in federal court as part of the long-running, multi-jurisdiction investigation, including the following:
- Former Chief Operating Officer, Bontiea Bernedette Goss, previously of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to her role in a conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
- Former Chief Financial Officer, Tommy “Tom” Ray Goss, husband of Bontiea Goss and also previously of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to participating in the conspiracy by embezzling funds from the charity, as well as by paying bribes and kickbacks to elected public officials in Arkansas. Tom Goss also pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false tax return.
- Former Chief Executive Officer, Marilyn Luann Nolan of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty in November 2018 to her role in a conspiracy to embezzle and misapply the funds of a charitable organization that received federal funds.
- Former Director of Operations and Executive Vice President Robin Raveendran, of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty in June 2019 to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
- Former executive and head of clinical operations Keith Fraser Noble, of Rogersville, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September 2019 to concealment of a known felony.
- Former employee and head of operations and lobbying in Arkansas, Milton Russell Cranford, aka Rusty, of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of federal program bribery.
- Political consultant Donald Andrew Jones, aka D.A. Jones, of Willingboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in December 2017 to his role in a conspiracy from April 2011 to January 2017 to steal from an organization that receives federal funds.
- Former Arkansas State Representative Eddie Wayne Cooper, of Melbourne, Arkansas, pleaded guilty in February 2018 to conspiracy to embezzle more than $4 million from Preferred Family Healthcare.
- Former Arkansas State Senator and State Representative Henry “Hank” Wilkins IV was sentenced in January 2023 for his role in a conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and devising a scheme and artifice to defraud and deprive the citizens of the state of Arkansas of their right to honest services.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas, U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas, U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore for the Western District of Missouri, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Charles A. Dayoub of the FBI Kansas City Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI, IRS-CI, and the Offices of the Inspectors General from the Departments of Justice, Labor, and the FDIC investigated the cases.
Senior Litigation Counsel Marco A. Palmieri, Director of Enforcement & Litigation for the Election Crimes Branch Sean F. Mulryne, and Trial Attorney Jacob Steiner of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Mazzanti for the Eastern District of Arkansas; Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Eggert and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Kempf for the Western District of Missouri; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron L. Jennen and Steven M. Mohlhenrich for the Western District of Arkansas are prosecuting the separate criminal cases. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Harris for the Eastern District of Arkansas and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Wulff for the Western District of Arkansas provided significant assistance.
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Former Arkansas State Senator Sentenced for Bribery and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A former Arkansas State Senator was sentenced today to 46 months in prison in the Eastern District of Arkansas for accepting multiple bribes and tax fraud in connection with a multi-district investigation spanning the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas and the Western District of Missouri.
Pursuant to his global plea agreement, Jeremy Hutchinson, 48, of Little Rock, pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019, in the Eastern District of Arkansas to filing a false tax return; pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019, to an information filed in the Western District of Arkansas to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery; and pleaded guilty in the Western District of Missouri on July 8, 2019, to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery.
According to court documents, from 2010 through 2017, Hutchinson stole and misappropriated thousands of dollars in state campaign contributions for his own personal use and then filed false federal income tax returns from 2011 to 2014 to conceal his conduct. In addition, Hutchinson was hired as outside counsel by Dr. Benjamin Burris, an orthodontist who owned and operated orthodontic clinics throughout the state of Arkansas. In exchange for payments and legal work, Hutchinson pushed legislation beneficial to Burris. Hutchinson was provided legal work to conceal the corrupt nature of his arrangement. Hutchinson stole over $10,000 in state campaign funds for his own personal use and also falsified his 2011 tax returns, including failing to report $20,000-per-month-payments he received from one law firm and other sources of income he knowingly and intentionally concealed from his taxes.
Hutchinson is still pending sentencing in the Western District of Missouri for his role in a separate multimillion-dollar public corruption scheme that involved embezzlement, bribes, and illegal campaign contributions for elected public officials. According to court documents, Hutchinson accepted bribes in the form of monthly legal retainers and other things of value from employees and executives of Preferred Family Healthcare Inc. (formerly known as Alternative Opportunities Inc.), a Springfield, Missouri-based health care charity. In exchange for the bribes, Hutchinson provided favorable legislative and official action for the charity.
In 2022, Preferred Family Healthcare agreed to pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government and the state of Arkansas under the terms of a non-prosecution agreement, in which the charity admitted the criminal conduct of its former officers and employees.
Several former executives from the charity, former members of the Arkansas state legislature, and others have pleaded guilty in federal court as part of the long-running, multi-jurisdiction investigation, including the following:
- Former Chief Operating Officer, Bontiea Bernedette Goss, previously of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to her role in a conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
- Former Chief Financial Officer, Tommy “Tom” Ray Goss, husband of Bontiea Goss and also previously of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to participating in the conspiracy by embezzling funds from the charity, as well as by paying bribes and kickbacks to elected public officials in Arkansas. Tom Goss also pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false tax return.
- Former Chief Executive Officer, Marilyn Luann Nolan of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty in November 2018 to her role in a conspiracy to embezzle and misapply the funds of a charitable organization that received federal funds.
- Former Director of Operations and Executive Vice President Robin Raveendran, of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty in June 2019 to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
- Former executive and head of clinical operations Keith Fraser Noble, of Rogersville, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September 2019 to concealment of a known felony.
- Former employee and head of operations and lobbying in Arkansas, Milton Russell Cranford, aka Rusty, of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of federal program bribery.
- Political consultant Donald Andrew Jones, aka D.A. Jones, of Willingboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in December 2017 to his role in a conspiracy from April 2011 to January 2017 to steal from an organization that receives federal funds.
- Former Arkansas State Representative Eddie Wayne Cooper, of Melbourne, Arkansas, pleaded guilty in February 2018 to conspiracy to embezzle more than $4 million from Preferred Family Healthcare.
- Former Arkansas State Senator and State Representative Henry “Hank” Wilkins IV was sentenced in January 2023 for his role in a conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and devising a scheme and artifice to defraud and deprive the citizens of the state of Arkansas of their right to honest services.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas, U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas, U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore for the Western District of Missouri, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Charles A. Dayoub of the FBI Kansas City Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI, IRS-CI, and the Offices of the Inspectors General from the Departments of Justice, Labor, and the FDIC investigated the cases.
Senior Litigation Counsel Marco A. Palmieri, Director of Enforcement & Litigation for the Election Crimes Branch Sean F. Mulryne, and Trial Attorney Jacob Steiner of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Mazzanti for the Eastern District of Arkansas; Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Eggert and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Kempf for the Western District of Missouri; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron L. Jennen and Steven M. Mohlhenrich for the Western District of Arkansas are prosecuting the separate criminal cases. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Harris for the Eastern District of Arkansas and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Wulff for the Western District of Arkansas provided significant assistance.
Former Arkansas State Senator and Representative Sentenced for Role in Multimillion-Dollar Bribery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Former Arkansas State Senator and State Representative Henry (Hank) Wilkins IV was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for conspiring to accept over $95,000 in bribes in exchange for influencing Arkansas state legislation and transactions, including steering approximately $245,000 in Arkansas General Improvement funds to his co-conspirators, which included executives at a Missouri-based health care charity.
As part of the conspiracy, Wilkins also admitted to devising a scheme to conceal the bribe payments as donations to St. James United Methodist Church in Pine Bluff, where Wilkins also served as a pastor.
United States District Court Judge Brian S. Miller sentenced Wilkins today. In addition to the federal prison sentence, Judge Miller ordered Wilkins to serve three years of supervised release and repay $123,000 in restitution. Wilkins must report to prison by March 7, 2023.
Wilkins, 68, previously pleaded guilty on April 30, 2018, to a federal Information charging him with conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, and conspiracy to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud and deprive the citizens of Arkansas of their right to honest services.
According to court documents, Wilkins admitted as part of his plea that from 2010 to 2014, while serving in the Arkansas General Assembly, he accepted a series of bribes from lobbyists and non-profit organizations that were transmitted both in the form of cash and checks funneled from lobbying firms to a discretionary fund held in St. James’ name where Wilkins had access to the deposited funds. In exchange for the cash and check bribes, Wilkins performed, and agreed to perform, official acts in his capacity as an Arkansas legislator including filing shell bills, sponsoring full bills, voting in favor of specific legislation, and steering approximately $245,000 in General Improvement funds to entities that funneled bribes to Wilkins through his church.
Several of Wilkins’s co-conspirators, including former Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson and two executives at the Missouri-based health care charity, pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The FBI investigated this case. Senior Litigation Counsel Marco A. Palmieri and Trial Attorney Jacob Steiner of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Mazzanti, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Harris of the Eastern District of Arkansas; and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Wulff of the Western District of Arkansas prosecuted the case. This is a combined investigation with the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice, the Eastern District of Arkansas, Western District of Arkansas, and the Western District of Missouri.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Blytheville Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison After Stealing Identities and CreditRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Blytheville man’s pattern of identity theft and fraudulent credit applications will result in him spending more than eight years in federal prison. Palmer Stubblefield, 41, was sentenced today to 102 months in prison for stealing identifying information and using it to apply for more than $148,500 in fraudulently obtained credit. United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky handed down the sentence.
Since 2019, law enforcement had been investigating Stubblefield for multiple fraudulent credit cards, lines of credit, and bank accounts that used the personal information of more than 139 victims. Many of the fraudulent credit cards were through Military Star (Milstar), which is owned and operated by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service. In 2020, investigators interviewed a victim who was able to identify Stubblefield as the person responsible for his identity theft. The investigation revealed approximately $148,500 in losses to the various victims.
In July 2021, Stubblefield was indicted by a federal grand jury with 13 counts, including three counts of falsely representing a social security number, three counts of aggravated identity theft, four counts bank fraud, two counts of theft or receipt of stolen mail, and one count of access device fraud. In September 2022, Stubblefield pleaded guilty to access device fraud in exchange for dismissal of the remaining counts.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Rudofsky sentenced Stubblefield to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $147,500 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
The case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Little Rock Police Department, and Craighead County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward Walker.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS