MENU MENU. Over the last 18 months, there have been nearly 1,200 arrests related to drugs in Fort Smith ranging from juveniles to senior citizens. #7-2023. COVID-19 has increased the risk of all EMS calls but especially overdoses, Mounts said. A locked padlock The sentencings of the drug trafficking organization members are as follows: WDAR Case No. #8-2023. Working alongside the DEA and our tremendous Arkansas law enforcement partners, we are committed to dismantling criminal organizations who flood our communities with dangerous narcotics and create violence in our neighborhoods. Press Release Use promo code: WELCOME100 The final members of an Arkansas River Valley group have been sentenced to federal prison for the Distribution of Methamphetamine. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The 14 defendants arrested Thursday allegedly have ties to Mexico and the Jalisco New Generation Mexican cartel, according to a Western District news release. "This investigation has dealt a serious setback to drug trafficking organizations that endanger not only our communities in the Western District of Arkansas, but also other communities throughout the nation," Fowlkes said. In the fall of 2019, Agents with the DEA and the FBI launched an investigation into drug trafficking and money laundering in the Western District of Arkansas. They allegedly dealt 280 grams of meth in the three counties as they resided on both sides of the Arkansas-Oklahoma state line, according to court and arrest records. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Carter prosecuted the case for the United States. Our strategies include but not limited to problem-solving techniques; building robust and lasting partnerships with all stakeholders, transparency, educating the community, accountability, and open dialogue with the residents and guest of Fort Smith. Arkansas State Police. At about 10 a.m. the bodies were found in the 1800 block of South Greenwood Avenue. We still have a person there who were not going to let die no matter what, Mounts said. The individuals arrested today enriched themselves off the misery and sufferings of others, said FBI Little Rock Field Office Special Agent in Charge Diane Upchurch in the news release. Emily Elizabeth Williams age 31, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced October 5, 2021 to 70 months BOP, $100 special assessment, $900 fine for Conspiracy to Distribute a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine. He is serving out his current sentence in the Delta Regional Unit in Dermont. Undercover detectives conducted controlled. First responders and investigators commonly face challenges when trying to prevent drug abuse. Main Office: Nicholas Nico Moron-Rivera age 29, Fort Smith, Arkansas plead guilty on September 16, 2021 to Distribution of Methamphetamine. Perez-Echeverria is also accused of possessing a firearm in relation to his drug activity, the indictment reads. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. An arrest warrant represents a finding of probable cause. Constantly updated. Working alongside the (Drug Enforcement Administration) and our tremendous Arkansas law enforcement partners, we are committed to dismantling criminal organizations who flood our communities with dangerous narcotics and create violence in our neighborhoods.. Read More. The indictment alleges that the 29 people, between November 2016 and September, conspired to traffic methamphetamine and heroin, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for . Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Carter is prosecuting the case for the Western District of Arkansas. These realities dont account for the mental toll the pandemic has taken on both users and people who otherwise might not have turned to drugs, officials say. The Narcotic Unit investigates a variety of illegal drug activities. Yang Chanthavong, 41, who has been sentenced to more than 106 years of imposed prison time since 2005, somehow keeps getting out, returning to Sebastian County, dealing more drugs and getting caught just to start the cycle all over again. Main Office: Ive got people who are in treatment right now who are either here or in drug court or probation or parolees who because of the virus were not able to report to their probation officers anymore because the offices were shut down, which in turn means they were not being drug tested, which means there was no accountability there, Coats said. Solis is already serving a 10-year term out of Crawford County for a 2018 residential burglary charge that also listed him as a habitual offender. These arrests are for a variety of drugs ranging from marijuana to meth and cocaine. Twenty-two defendants federally accused of drug trafficking in Sebastian, Crawford and Logan counties allegedly pushed at least more than half a pound of methamphetamine onto the streets of the three counties since the beginning of 2019. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. F0rt Smith drug dealer, habitual offender draws 25-years in ADC after plea deal in 2021 drug arrest. He was returned to Sebastian Country one day prior to his sentencing on Friday. A locked padlock Once you have located the individual's name in the index, you will be able to search the criminal case files that have been digitized and made available on Ancestry . Phone: (479) 782-1046. All complaints regarding the accuracy of information contained in these documents should be submitted, in writing, to the Jail Administrative Office, Sebastian County Sheriff, 801 South A Street, Fort Smith AR, 72901. Crime in the United States 2020 - Arrests and Arrest Table: Arrests for Drug Abuse Violations.Washington, DC: US Dept. Fort Smith, AR 72901. U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Arkansas, River Valley Group Sentenced To Over 206 Years Combined In Federal Prison For Drug Trafficking, Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than 44 Years Combined in Federal Prison, Fayetteville Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking, Farmington Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking. People call me saying, Look, I need help. Sebastian County Circuit Court is the highest trial court in Sebastian County. #6-2023. It's also directly related to a July indictment in which four others who were arrested on Aug. 5 -- Emmanuel Miranda, Israel Miranda-Zapata, Brenda Golden Day and Alexis Tirado of Fort Smith -- were charged in a similar methamphetamine distribution scheme. OUR SPONSORS Johnson County Mugshots: February 25-26, 2023 Oklahoma Officer Down Memorial:Deputy Issac "Art" Person-Leflore County Sheriff Office-EoW 12/6/1920 Benjamin Valdez age 38, Paris, Arkansas sentenced October 21, 2021 to 262 months BOP, $100 special assessment and a $5,000 fine for Distribution of More Than Five (5) Grams of Methamphetamine. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. The 2020 Drug Enforcement Administration National Drug Threat Assessment said the number of drug overdose deaths that could be attributed to synthetic opioids other than methadone, such as. Julie Ann Pyles - age 42, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced October 13, 2021 to 78 months BOP, $100 special assessment, $1,400 fine for Money Laundering. This created an inflation in the U.S. drug market during March and April, said 12th and 21st District Drug Task Force Director Paul Smith. Drug users seeking a bed at Harbor House now might have to wait four months to get into one of its 33 residential beds and four detox beds. Manuel Chuy De Jesus Perez-Echeverria - age 36, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced October 22, 2021 to 360 months BOP, $100 special assessment, and $20,000 fine for Conspiracy to Distribute More Than Five Hundred (500) Grams of a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine. She is the first Mexican-American woman elected to Congress from Florida. This investigation has dealt a serious setback to drug trafficking organizations that endanger not only our communities in the Western District of Arkansas but also other communities throughout the nation, stated First Assistant U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes, The indictments and arrests in this case were only made possible due to the unprecedented cooperation between Federal, State and Local Agencies. Official websites use .gov The local numbers reflect the statewide ones Arkansas from March through July has seen a 130% administration increase in the opioid counter agent naloxone, according to the Arkansas Drug Directors office. Their prosecution is in the scope of the Western Districts Operation Bear Mountain Bingo, part of the Department of Justices Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force program. 901 South "B" Street. Man arrested for murder in McPherson County. This prosecution is part of the Western District of Arkansas Operation Bear Mountain Bingo, which is part of the Department of Justices Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. Photo Name Subject Number In Custody Race Gender Date of Birth Height Weight Multiple Bookings Housing Facility; AUSTIN, JOHN KESNER: 281: Yes: White: Male: 04/27/1977 2:20 CR 20014 001-004 (Indictment issued July 28, 2020). Any time we advocate for not using drugs or staying away, we do it, but I dont know what the answer is, he said. Mounts said paramedics perform the same procedures on overdose patients as they had before the pandemic, but now with increased safety protocols. A Fort Smith man with multiple felony and misdemeanor arrests and convictions dating all the way back to 2014 was sentenced to the Arkansas Department of Corrections for 25 years plus five years suspended on charges of trafficking drugs, possession of Schedule VI controlled substances, and maintaining a premises for drug activities. 1:32. And drug users in the region for a time paid even more for their fix as cartels were prohibited from trafficking their substances into the United States. Read More. North Platte Woman Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Crime. Coats, a former heroin user, said human connection is an integral part of recovery. Official websites use .gov Thats the facts; thats just who we are. The indictment included 15 counts involving methamphetamine distribution or laundering money earned from distributing methamphetamine. Marshals Service, ATF Fort Smith, AR, State & Local Agencies - Logan County Sheriffs Office, Fort Smith Police Department, Sebastian County Sheriffs Office, Greenwood Police Department, Paris Police Department, Crawford County Sheriffs Office, 12th/21st Judicial District Drug Task Force, Arkansas State Police, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. I want these guys to have their support systems back that are readily available, he said. This OCDETF operation is a joint investigation between the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), the Fort Smith Police Department, the Crawford County Sheriffs Office, the Logan County Sheriffs Office, the Sebastian County Sheriffs Office, the Greenwood Police Department, the Paris Police Department and the Arkansas State Police. In-person meetings with recovery coaches have been limited. Fort Smith, ARKANSAS - According to the statement, two people pleaded guilty in court to excavating and damaging archaeological resources. Because of persistent and collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies in the area, a major supplier of methamphetamine to this region of Arkansas is out of business., The individuals arrested today enriched themselves off the misery and sufferings of others, stated Special Agent in Charge Diane Upchurch of the FBI Little Rock Field Office. This investigation resulted the arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment of twenty-two (22) individual drug traffickers and money launderers and the seizure of approximately 6.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 15 firearms, and $146,687 in funds derived from drug trafficking. An official website of the United States government. Paula Lynne Rider age 58, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced October 6, 2021 to 87 months BOP, $100 special assessment and a $900 fine for Conspiracy to Distribute a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine. The group was led by Manuel "Chuy" De Jesus. I think its made it very difficult on them., An age-old problem in unprecedented times. By accessing this site, you agree to the foregoing disclaimer and agree to hold the agencies and institutions enumerated herein . The sentencings of the drug trafficking organization members are as follows: Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The roundup came after an investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in Sebastian, Crawford and Logan counties lasting more than a year, according to a news release from the office of David Clay Fowlkes, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. The search warrants the Drug Task Force typically executes result in the arrest of multiple drug dealers and the seizure of large quantities of drugs that would otherwise be distributed on the streets of Fort Smith and the surrounding areas. Those arrested Thursday will be scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Fort Smith before Magistrate Judge Mark Ford "in the coming days," according to the release. While these protocols add additional elements to what can already be a difficult or stressful job, Mounts and his fellow paramedics do them anyway. [8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 64.6 square miles (167 km 2 ), of which 61.7 square miles (160 km 2) is land and 3.9 square miles (10 km 2) (6.3%) is water. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Mateo E. Solis , 26, with a listed residence in the 1200 block of North 33rd Street in Fort Smith, took a plea deal in open court on Friday and we'll have the 25 years added to his current sentence in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Visit Northwest Arkansas' most reliable source for breaking news. Philip Pevehouse. 501-618-8000. . 47 6 thatphanom.techno@gmail.com 042-532028 , 042-532027 All rights reserved. This Indictment is directly related to a previous Indictment issued in July 2020, in which four (4) additional defendants were charged in a similar methamphetamine distribution scheme. The Fort Smith Arrest Records Search (Arkansas) links below open in a new window and take you to third party websites that provide access to Fort Smith public records. Israel Miranda-Zapata age 30, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced April 1, 2021 to 108 months BOP and $100 special assessment for Conspiracy to Distribute More Than 5 Grams of Methamphetamine. A federal grand jury returned an indictment in August charging multiple people in the Fort Smith area with a "large-scale, multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy," the release states. Booking Date: 02-13-2023 - 3:14 pm. Alexis Tirado - age 27, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced April 8, 2021 to 180 months BOP and $100 special assessment for Aiding and Abetting in the Distribution of More Than 50 Grams of Methamphetamine. 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