Mounts recommended family members with loved ones who are addicted to drugs have a naloxone kit on hand in case of an overdose. #7-2023. 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. The Narcotic Unit investigates a variety of illegal drug activities. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 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, First Assistant U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes said in the news release. hard rock disneyland paris. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Have a question about Government Services? Smith said members of his team didnt execute as many search warrants at the beginning of the pandemic. As a conveniece to the citizens of Fort Smith additional reports are also available online. Have a question about Government Services? 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. . 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. Prescription medicines are toxic waste & pose a danger to people, pets, & the environment, so get rid of your expired & unneeded medications at a drug take back box & join us for the AR Drug Take Back Day 618 people died from a drug overdose in Arkansas in 2021 225 people die, everyday in America, from a drug overdose Together, we can change . 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. Narcotics investigators in the region saw the price of drugs level off in May and then fall back down to normal levels in June and July as cartels found effective ways to push drugs into the states. Measures like prohibited gathering in social spaces from mid-March to the beginning of May also contributed to drug addiction, Smith said. Smith in December also said perceived hopelessness contributes to drug addiction. 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. "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 indictment included fifteen counts, all of which involved the distribution of methamphetamine or laundering of money earned from the distribution of methamphetamine. Search arrest records and find latests mugshots and bookings for Misdemeanors and Felonies. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may contact CrimeStoppers at 78-CRIME (782-7463) and your information will be kept . $1,000 rent assistance los angeles; morning star holdings limited money laundering; christine feehan new releases 2022; giulio berruti partner; homes for sale in fox hills bloomfield mi The defendants 14 of whom were arrested Thursday in the Western District of Arkansas Operation Bear Mountain Bingo were arrested from an indictment with 15 counts related to meth distribution and money laundering. But they also say drug trends were affected by economic effects of virus precautions. 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. Career criminal picks up an additional 12-years on drug charges from 2020 arrest. "This operation has taken 21 drug dealers off the streets of our communities," stated Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The indictment is directly related to a similar July indictment of Emmanuel Miranda, Israel Miranda-Zapata, Brenda Golden Day and Alexis Tirado, all of Fort Smith. These arrests require the arrestees to post a bond or . And despite the pandemic, Coatss clients are determined to overcome drug addiction, he said. In 2019, drug traffickers pumped it into the region, which already had one of the highest opioid prescription rates per capita in the state. Fort Smith paramedics from May to July have on average responded to 50 overdose calls per month a 40%-60% response increase to these kinds of calls from the first four months of the year, said Fort Smith EMS Director Tim Hearn. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is the largest source for award winning news and opinion that matters to you. 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. U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Arkansas, 14 Defendants Arrested Following Drug Trafficking Investigation And Roundup, 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. Editors note: This story has been corrected to accurately state how often Fort Smith EMS paramedics respond to drug overdose calls. fort smith, ar drug arrests. Fort Smith PD: 2020-00007481 . A locked padlock New Orleans Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy. This is because the patient is unable to tell the paramedics if they have been exposed to the virus until after he or she has been resuscitated. 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. Methamphetamine use in 18 to 25 year-olds statewide is the second highest percentage in the nation (4.41%). We urge anyone with information about Arkansas criminal organizations to contact our FBI office.. 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. 2023 www.swtimes.com. He was guiven an enhanced sentenced with a four-year add-on for being a hab otual criminal. Multiple sheriff's deputies shot in officer-involved shooting. A lock ( 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. 501-618-8000. POSSESS FIREARMS BY CERTAIN PERSONS. The region was already ravaged by drug addiction. 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, said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Another way to die First responders and investigators commonly face challenges when trying to prevent drug abuse. "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," she said. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nations illicit drug supply. MENU MENU. The pandemic has presented problems at all levels of drug abuse prevention, and thus people at all levels have tried to address it. 2:20 CR 20014 001-004 (Indictment issued July 28, 2020). Fax: (479) 784-1580. Recovery workers also cant take their clients to the meetings, Coats said. THEFT BY RECEIVING. Agents of the FBI, DEA, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Arkansas State Police, detectives from the Fort Smith, Greenwood and Paris police departments and investigators from the Crawford, Logan and Sebastian county sheriffs offices executed the investigation. Fort Smith, AR 72901 Phone: 479-782-1046 Drug Court: 479-784-1507 Child Support: 479-784-1581 . 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. . But Coats also says the wait list has increased because Harbor Houses treatment centers are some of the only treatment centers open in Arkansas. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, the wait list for beds at Harbor House has almost doubled. 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. DEA Fort Smith, AR; McAllister, OK; Atlanta, GA, FBI Fort Smith, AR; Oklahoma City, OK; Miami, FL, U.S. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. The sentencings of the drug trafficking organization members are as follows: A longer wait time for treatment can translate to more drug use as they wait to get in, Coats said. 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 Those arrested were taken into custody beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday (Nov. 30) by Narcotic, SWAT and K9 officers at Fort Smith Police Department. Fort Smith. I think its made it very difficult on them., An age-old problem in unprecedented times. 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. A Pine bluff Man who has had at least 16 felony arrest since 2005 found himself sentenced to 12 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections on drug charges in proceedings that were held Friday in Sebastian County Circuit Court. Crime in the United States 2020 - Arrests and Arrest Table: Arrests for Drug Abuse Violations.Washington, DC: US Dept. Drug dealer with multiple convictions sent away for another short stay after plea deal. Officials at the time were concerned the Fort Smith region lacked adequate resources to treat the drug, which recovery coach Austin Coats estimated more than half the clients at Harbor House Recovery Center used. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justices drug supply reduction strategy. During the Civil War, the North met the South here with . Their operation is directly tied to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which has a presence in several states, according to a Western District news release. The defendants 14 of whom were arrested Thursday in the Western District of Arkansas' Operation . Emmanuel Miranda age 25, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced April 1, 2021 to 78 months BOP and $100 special assessment for Conspiracy to Distribute More Than 5 Grams of Methamphetamine. 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. The indictments and arrests in this case were only made possible due to the unprecedented cooperation between Federal, State and Local Agencies.. Sex Offender Search Search for Offenders and register for e-mail alerts to help protect your family. Example video title will go here for this video. Perez-Echeverria, Valdez and another defendant on or around April 16 allegedly caused a financial transaction involving interstate commerce and the proceeds of meth sales knowing the transaction was designed in whole or in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership and control of the proceeds of the drug deal. 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 . FORT SMITH -- Fourteen people were arrested by federal, state and local law enforcement in connection with alleged drug distribution and money laundering in western Arkansas on Thursday. Western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma's local news leader! The Sebastian County District Court, its agencies, officers, or employees do not guarantee the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information contained in this system. He said they encourage people not to use drugs whenever they can, especially when theyre reaching an age where they may start using. [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. Ive ran into a couple of people who have overdosed over the past few days, most of them accidentally, Mounts said. People were asked to avoid the area as first responders arrived, police reported. Fort Smith, AR 72901. That's where nearly a decade of addiction, parole violations and drug dealing caught up with her. Around 6 a.m. 70 officers from multiple agencies went to execute 30 narcotic related search warrants in Dewitt, Stuttgart and Gillett. FORT SMITH, Ark. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Cartels are commonly at the top of the supply chain for local drug dealing operations, according to 12th and 21st District Drug Task Force Director Paul Smith. The defendants who were arrested today will be scheduled to appear in the United States District in Fort Smith before United States Magistrate Judge Mark Ford in the coming days. A F0rt Smith-based drug dealer who has been arrested for over a dozen drug-related felonies in the past sixteen years in Sebastian County entered a guity plea to Possession of Methamphetamine with Purpose to Deliver and Possession of a Controlled Substance in a plea agreement with the Sebastian County Prosecutor's Office and picked up a six year sentence with an additional fourteen years . 782-7463 ) and your information will be kept & # x27 ; Operation went to execute Narcotic! 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