FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice, Christopher Lamont JONES, 41, Little Rock, Ladeitrick HAMPTON, 33, North Little Rock, Willie Joseph TYLER, JR., 37, Little Rock, Rodriques DAngelo DAVIS, 30, Little Rock, Christina Akins BREWSTER, 27, Little Rock. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Brewster DTO was based out of Brewsters Used Auto and Detail shop on Forbing Road in southwest Little Rock. Three men pleaded guilty in two separate fentanyl cases in federal court in Little Rock on Wednesday. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. At this time, agents located LSD, Kratom, marijuana, paraphernalia, MDMA (ecstasy), mushrooms, $2,449.00, five firearms, and cocaine. Most of the defendants who were arrested this morning will appear at a later date for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Joe J. Volpe. Prior to his death, Detective Collins was assisting FBI with intelligence related to criminal activity of these gangs, as well as surveillance, interviews, and arrests of individuals responsible for criminal activity in Pine Bluff. More than two years after the shooting death of a Pine Bluff detective, investigative work he began led to the indictments of 80 people in central Arkansas on drug, weapons and gang activity charges, federal authorities said Wednesday. Three more defendants, Quincy Martez Chambers, Deandreian Devonte Meadows, and Joseph Riggins, Jr., are charged separately in stand-alone indictments. According to a news report, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas said a grand jury indicted 19 . Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to find and dismantle groups who misuse the U.S. Mail, said Thomas Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the Fort Worth Division of the USPIS. [], During this years competition, competitors will use their robots to simulate a waterway cleanup. Eighteen individuals were indicted because of the DEAs investigation. Gioelli faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Operation Hartbreak Kid was conducted by the DEA with assistance from the USPIS, United States Marshals Service, Arkansas State Police, North Little Rock Police Department, Arkansas Community Corrections, Lonoke County Sheriffs Office, Lonoke Police Department, Little Rock Police Department, Pulaski County Sheriffs Office, and Jacksonville Police Department. As part of the operation on Tuesday more than 20 vehicles and more than $35,000 in drug proceeds from multiple bank accounts was seized. An indictment contains only allegations. The second investigation focused on the Loady Murder Mobb gang and resulted in the indictment of 26 defendants. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS In addition to those arrested on Tuesday, seven others have been charged and arrested in separate indictments in connection with this operation. The second investigation focused on the Loady Murder Mobb gang and resulted in the indictment of 26 defendants. The indictment was handed down by a Federal Grand Jury on . Detectives arrested Krystal Bolen, 37, the report said. Police lights are shown in this file photo. Gioelli is one of 17 co-defendants who are a part of the case targeting Desmond Kelley, who was head of another fentanyl distribution ring in central Arkansas. Agents made contact with these two individuals at their apartment on 3rd Street in Marmaduke. In recent weeks, Little Rock police and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have teamed up in an effort to help combat violent crimes. "When my alarm went off at 3:15 this morning," Harper said,"Detective Collins' spirit was with not just me, but the entire team, the investigative team, the arrest team and the prosecutorial team.". Rawls, 50, of Benton, was sentenced to 420 months imprisonment for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine. A man briefly broke free and fled from North Little Rock police officers arresting him on drug charges during a traffic stop Friday afternoon, according to an arrest report. Later on, agents retrieved two arrest warrants for Amber Smith and Tylor Clairday for trafficking a controlled substance. Email Email. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. Twenty-seven fugitives are still not in custody, as of Wednesday morning, and those who were arrested were scheduled to appear for arraignment by U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe. LITTLE ROCKThree federal investigations culminated in 45 arrests this morning. This investigation involved the seizure of various illegal drugs ranging from marijuana to fentanyl, along with several firearms. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. The FBI conducted their operations with assistance from Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Department of Community Corrections, Little Rock Police Department, North Little Rock Police Department, Pine Bluff Police Department, and Jonesboro Police Department. (Prince Williams/Wireimage). 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. Collins' parents, Charles and Dornetta Hobbs of Pine Bluff, attended the press conference. Michael Gioelli pleaded guilty to knowingly distributing a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl with prosecutors dropping the rest of the counts against him. "We deeply regret the death of Kevin Collins," Ross said. During Tuesdays arrests, officers recovered an additional AR-15 rifle. Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute less than 500 grams of cocaine is punishable by not more than 20 years incarceration in the Bureau of Prisons with a possible fine of up to $1,000,000, and not less than three years supervised release. He adds the dedication of this deputy resulted in more than just drugs off the street it saved lives, potentially thousands. The DEA Little Rock Office was assisted by the DEA Riverside, California office, United States Postal Inspection Service, North Little Rock Police Department, Sherwood Police Department and Benton Police Department. Local authorities reported receiving citizen complaints about drug trafficking and gunshots at these locations. "We've taken most of those into custody and in the coming days we hope to take the remainder in," he said. Courtney Rhodes pleaded guilty to the distribution of a controlled substance, while the. with the source replying "I need two of em," meaning two grams of heroin/fentanyl, according to the plea agreement. He is also accused in the indictment of acquiring these types of guns from a licensed firearms dealer and making false statements during the purchases, possessing one or more machine guns and possessing several guns without serial numbers, among other things. Smith was booked into the Clay County Detention Center on the charge of trafficking a controlled substance. Gladney and his father were indicted for possessing between 500 grams and 5 kilograms of cocaine, between 28 and 280 grams of crack-cocaine, and between 100 kilograms and 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, the indictment noted. Collins, Ross said, was working as a task force officer the day he was killed, and he said the investigation into gang violence done by the slain officer had provided much of the intelligence, built upon over the next two years, that was the basis for the indictments. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File). Agents with Homeland Security received information from FedEx and Border Patrol regarding a package shipped from Mexico to Rector, Arkansas that contained approximately fifteen pounds of DMT, which is a hallucinogenic schedule I controlled substance. 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 . These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julie Peters and Amanda Fields with assistance from Cameron McCree. Afterward, Charles Hobbs, Collins' stepfather, expressed his appreciation for the work that went into the investigations. Rain: 7am to 7am: .00 Month: 0.00 Year: 20.21 Recorded temps: High: 63 Low: 45, By: U.S. Attorney Eastern District of Arkansas. The FBI investigation began in January 2013. North Little Rock police arrested a 33-year-old man with multiple active felony warrants out. A locked padlock In just the first half of this current fiscal period, the state is already at $115 million. According to the Little Rock Police. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Arkansas, Methamphetamine, Firearms Recovered from North Little Rock Drug Ring, Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (LECC), "Operation Hartbreak Kid" Results in Thirteen Arrests, 35 Years In Federal Prison for Convicted Cocaine Trafficker, Operation "Candyland" Leads to Multiple Drug Arrests in Marianna and Forrest City, Little Rock Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in Death. Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Givens. (KAIT) - The eight people arrested in connection with a federal and state drug bust earlier this week in Jonesboro have appeared in federal court, with an initial trial date now set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Givens. Ke'shone Smith of Pine Bluff, who was wanted for a murder in Georgia when Collins was killed, is scheduled to go on trial for Collins' murder April 17 in Jefferson County Circuit Court. As a part of his guilty plea Wednesday, Gioelli admitted the amount of fentanyl he distributed was between eight and 16 grams. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff). According to the plea agreement Rhodes signed Wednesday, in January 2019 a confidential source working with law enforcement made a recorded call to Rhodes for "the purpose of purchasing heroin or fentanyl.". 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. News of Gladney's arrest was reported by TMZ on Wednesday afternoon. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. 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.. We greatly appreciate the FBI and their continued support for this critical mission, said Chief Kenton Buckner of the Little Rock Police Department. The investigations into the rival gangs and their involvement in the drug and firearms pipeline in Arkansas gained momentum in October 2020 after Pine Bluff Police Detective Kevin Collins was shot and killed while serving an arrest warrant on an EBK member wanted for homicide in Georgia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner. Official websites use .gov Mexican cartels are marketing their drugs through social media: Former DEA special agent. PressReader. According to the plea agreement, Fordson was responsible for between 24 and 32 grams of fentanyl. In December 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation into a methamphetamine and cocaine distribution ring based in the McAlmont neighborhood of North Little Rock. HOUSTON RAPPER THE BREADMAN GETS 23 YEARS FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING. NORTH CAROLINA MAN SENTENCED TO 40 YEARS FOR RUNNING DRUG TRAFFICKING OPERATION OUT OF DAYCARE, An FBI seal is seen on a wall on Aug. 10, 2022, in Omaha, Nebraska. An investigative focus on the pipeline of drugs and firearms between Pine Bluff and Little Rock resulted in the indictment of 80 individuals, all charged with various federal firearms and drug trafficking charges in multiple indictments that were unsealed today. The FBI conducted their operations with assistance from Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Department of Community Corrections, Little Rock Police Department, North Little Rock Police Department, Pine Bluff Police Department, and Jonesboro Police Department. All told, the FBI purchased more than 1.75 kilos of cocaine from the Freddie Brewster drug trafficking organization (DTO) in a dozen controlled purchases. O.C. These large-scale investigations and ultimate arrests take a well-planned coordinated effort by many law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels, stated Thyer. In December 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA . The second investigation focused on the Loady Murder Mobb gang and resulted in the indictment of 26 defendants. Catalog; For You; Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Below is the release, as written: On June 16, 2021, Agents with Homeland Security and the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force, partnered with officers from Jonesboro Police Department, Arkansas State Police, Craighead County Sheriff's Department, Greene "The investigation revealed drug trafficking and travel between Arkansas and Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Oklahoma.". Of the 80 defendants indicted on Wednesday, eight were in custody before the roundup began. emailStay Connected According to reports, authorities underwent the. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. A greater amount, in fact, a very large amount was found secreted around the vehicle, said Seiders, most of them inside of the structure of the vehicle itself.. We are fortunate to have good working relationships where drug trafficking organizations such as this one are dismantled. Agents with Homeland Security then made contact with Clay County 2nd Judicial DTF Agents and arranged a controlled delivery to the address in Rector, AR. ARKANSAS, USA Arkansas State Police (ASP) have arrested 22 people in connection to an alleged narcotics operation in St. Francis County. LITTLE ROCKThree federal investigations culminated in 45 arrests this morning. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. 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. 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. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. P.O. According to the indictment, Freddie Gladney III and the 34 other individuals allegedly knowingly and intentionally distributed and possessed cocaine, crack-cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Another search warrant was then executed at the apartment in Marmaduke. "Law enforcement discovered that the gangs were funding their violent activity primarily through the sale of large quantities of high-grade marijuana," the release read. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. During the "controlled buy," Rhodes asked the confidential source, "What you got?" Also, agents found a journal where Clairday made entries as far back as 2018 where he described his experiments with growing mushrooms and his recipes for DMT production and use. 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. Thirteen people were arraigned in federal court Wednesday on drug distribution charges after being arrested Tuesday morning as part of what federal authorities dubbed "Operation Hartbreak Kid." Tuesday, the unnamed drug interdiction deputy was patrolling along highway 67 near Searcy when he pulled over a car for a lane change violation. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Little Rock District Office conducted their operation with assistance from DEA Riverside, California District Office; USPIS; North Little Rock Police Department; Sherwood Police Department; and Benton Police Department. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Todays arrests are the culmination of a long term collaboration between the Little Rock, Benton, and Sherwood Police Departments, as well as the Pulaski County Sheriffs Department, U.S. The total street value of the bust more than $3 million, one of the largest traffic-stop-related drug busts in White County history. Fordson faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. 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. According to the Johnson County Sheriff's office, the driver of a vehicle ran away from the traffic stop after a deputy saw methamphetamine . With this investigation, DEA, working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, has taken down a drug trafficking organization responsible for bringing significant amounts of these illegal dangerous drugs into Arkansas through the U.S. Gladney was listed as a defendant in the indictment that was a result of the FBI focusing on the EBK gang, as was his father Freddie Gladney, Jr. J. Volpe later. Terrell Fordson, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, while federal prosecutors dismissed two other charges. Share on Twitter Twitter 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.