At that time, officers noticed marijuana in plain view and placed Tylor Clairday and Amber Smith under arrest for the trafficking charge. Collins and another officer were shot in the incident, and Collins died of his wounds at a local hospital. A third operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration began in August 2021 when DEA and the North Little Rock Police Department identified street-level methamphetamine and fentanyl. Lock Relatives say former US Marine killed fighting in, What about Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner left in, Russia frees US Marine vet as part of prisoner exchange, Strike kills 50 at crowded Ukraine rail station, Pink Floyd members reunite and record song for Ukraine, US to send $100M more in military aid to Ukraine, Ukrainian poisonings kill 2 Russian soldiers: officials, Sanders names AR Division of Higher Ed. Rhodes appeared in front of U.S. District Judge Brian S. Miller and was taken into custody after agreeing to plead guilty. Of the 80 defendants indicted on Wednesday, eight were in custody before the roundup began. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julie Peters and Amanda Fields with assistance from Cameron McCree. All rights reserved. Smith was booked into the Clay County Detention Center on the charge of trafficking a controlled substance. A third operation, this one led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), began in August 2021 when DEA and the North Little Rock Police Department identified street-level methamphetamine and fentanyl dealers in central Arkansas who were connected to the same source of supply. During the arrest, authorities found guns and. Law enforcement began early this morning by searching for 72 suspects, all of whom were indicted for federal gun and drug trafficking crimes. One out of every six of these pills on the average contains a lethal dose, Lane said, referring to fentanyl. Twenty-seven fugitives remain after Wednesdays arrests. Fax Line:(501) 340-2728. According to a release from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Drug Enforcement Admiration arrested 13 people as part of Operation Hartbreak Kid, which was named after the man agents believe to be the lead defendant in the case, 27-year-old Derrick Hart. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Print Headline: Sweep leads to 80 indictments. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. ARKANSAS, USA Arkansas authorities have completed a drug bust that resulted in more than $55 million in various drugs, 1,200 different arrests, and the recovery of hundreds of firearms.. Box 1229 Investigation revealed the drugs were being mailed into Arkansas from California, and these shipmentswhich included kilogram-quantities of methamphetamine and thousands of pressed fentanyl pillswere then distributed to individuals in Little Rock and Pine Bluff as well as Houston, Texas. The investigation revealed drug trafficking and travel between Arkansas and Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. Twenty-seven fugitives remain after this mornings arrests. All rights reserved. A locked padlock In December 2020, the Drug Enforcement. The investigations focused on rival gangs responsible for violence throughout central Arkansas, with one operation focused on the EBK -- Every Body Killas -- gang and resulting in the indictment of 35 defendants. Rawls, 50, of Benton, was sentenced to 420 months imprisonment for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine. These efforts are part of several Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operations. Possession with intent to distribute more than 28 grams but less than 280 grams of crack cocaine is punishable by not less than five years, not more than 40 years incarceration in the Bureau of Prisons with a possible fine of up to $5,000,000, and not less than four years supervised release. The second investigation focused on the Loady Murder Mobb gang and resulted in the indictment of 26 defendants. Agents made contact with these two individuals at their apartment on 3rd Street in Marmaduke. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Courtney Rhodes pleaded guilty to the distribution of a controlled substance, while the. All three will be sentenced at later dates. In just the first half of this current fiscal period, the state is already at $115 million. The maximum penalty for being a felon or an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm is 10 years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies including: the Little Rock Police Department, Benton Police Department, Sherwood Police Department, Pulaski County Sheriffs Office, Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Marshal Service. Immerse Arkansas to break ground for first-of-its-kind youth shelter, Police activate Silver Alert for missing North Little Rock woman, Your Arkansas weather forecast from THV11, Tornado recovery agencies in Arkansas move on to new areas, Seven Arkansas men arrested on fentanyl drug charges related to overdose death, Bryant school bus driver arrested, charged with DWI, 2 dead following pursuit with Arkansas State trooper in Memphis, TBI reports. Chancellor Damphousse Elected to Serve As President of Sun Belt Conference, In a Position to Give Some Magic This Season? A third operation, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), began in August 2021 when the North Little Rock Police Department identified street-level methamphetamine and fentanyl. From a video recorded inside the confidential source's vehicle, Rhodes can be seen pulling out a large plastic bag with an "off white" substance containing a heroin/fentanyl mixture. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. But it wasnt until the vehicle was taken back to the department that the full extent of hidden narcotics was found. Two FBI operations, each focused on a rival gang, were created to address violence and drug trafficking in the corridor between Pine Bluff and Little Rock. An FBI seal is seen on a wall on Aug. 10, 2022, in Omaha, Nebraska. Rhodes bites off two pieces to weigh on a set of electronic scales and can be seen counting money, according to the plea agreement. WHITE COUNTY, Ark. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The defendants arrested include Hart, Jenkins, Justin Cross, 29, of North Little Rock; Jonathan Dunigan, 23, of Austin; Andre Graves, 44, of Little Rock; Bianca Lavonda, 33, of North Little Rock; Prince Strong, 37, of Jacksonville; Steven Taylor, 64, of Jacksonville; Daniel White, 34, of North Little Rock; and Dayton Wiggins, Jr., 47, of Jacksonville. Collins' parents, Charles and Dornetta Hobbs of Pine Bluff, attended the press conference. An official website of the United States government. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The total street value of the bust more than $3 million, one of the largest traffic-stop-related drug busts in White County history. In total, deputies found 62 lbs. 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. - Federal agents say an investigation into a drug distribution ring in North Little Rock led to multiple arrests and the seizure of drugs and guns Tuesday. Catalog; For You; Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Three other defendants were charged in stand-alone indictments, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office Eastern District Arkansas. Rhodes told the confidential source to meet him in the John Barrow area of Little Rock. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. "The investigation revealed drug trafficking and travel between Arkansas and Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Oklahoma.". She said 27 suspects were still at large Wednesday afternoon and another eight defendants were already in state custody. A third operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration began in August 2021 when DEA and the North Little Rock Police Department identified street-level methamphetamine and fentanyl dealers in central Arkansas who were connected to the same West Coast source. "We've taken most of those into custody and in the coming days we hope to take the remainder in," he said. He has a lot of things that he looks for to pick up on people that may be trafficking, explained Lt. Scott Seiders with WCSO. Lock After the delivery, agents executed a search warrant into the Rector home to retrieve the package and arrested Jacob Smith, who accepted the package from undercover DTF agents. An investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking organization based in Little Rock resulted in the early-morning arrests of 22 defendants on charges involving distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, weapons possession, and money laundering charges. According to a news report, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas said a grand jury indicted 19 . "Kevin really worked hard at his job and being a police officer," Hobbs said. Possession of a firearm by a felon is punishable by not more than 20 years incarceration in the Bureau of Prisons with a possible fine of up to $250,000, and not more than three years supervised release. North Little Rock police arrested a 33-year-old man with multiple active felony warrants out. Rawls, 50, of Benton, was sentenced to 420 months imprisonment for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Three defendants are named in multiple indictments. Arraignments held for 13 people charged in NLR-area drug bust 2021-11-11 - DALE ELLIS . Share on Twitter Twitter LITTLE ROCKThirteen people will appear in federal court today after being arrested Tuesday morning as part of "Operation Hartbreak Kid.". [], Sounds to me like this is bullshit. 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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. The counts include conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine, felon in possession of firearms, money laundering, and the use of telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking crime.