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. More than five pounds of methamphetamine and six firearms were seized on . Later on, agents retrieved two arrest warrants for Amber Smith and Tylor Clairday for trafficking a controlled substance. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff), Dornetta Hobbs, mother of Detective Kevin Collins, uses her mask to dab her eyes during a news conference Wednesday at the U.S. attorneys office in Little Rock. An indictment only contains allegations. 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. Twenty-seven fugitives remain after this mornings arrests. In total, deputies found 62 lbs. 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. 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.". FBIs GETROCK Task Force was formed in 2017 in response to the escalation in gang and gun violence in Little Rock. Rapper Bankroll Freddie attends 1st Party of The Year at Gold Room on January 1, 2022 in Atlanta. She is charged with felony trafficking Xanax, felony possession of methamphetamine with purpose, felony possession of drug paraphernalia, felony possession of drugs in proximity to certain facilities and felony unauthorized use of another person's property. Catalog; For You; Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The units investigations and operations are coordinated out of FBI Little Rocks field office, and GETROCK continues to serve as the clearinghouse for gang-related law enforcement activity in Central Arkansas. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Three other defendants were charged in stand-alone indictments, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office Eastern District Arkansas. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Kraneum is legal everywhere. At that time, officers noticed marijuana in plain view and placed Tylor Clairday and Amber Smith under arrest for the trafficking charge. 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. According to the Little Rock Police. Lane said last fiscal year, the total dollar amount of seized drugs from task force members was around $79 million. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Authorities also seized four firearms including an AR-style pistol, 2 ounces of cocaine, 1 ounce of crack-cocaine and $30,000 on Wednesday morning. WDAR Case No. Named after lead defendant Derrick Hart, 27, of North Little Rock, this operation targeted drug distribution in the North Little Rock area. An indictment contains only allegations. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. These efforts are part of several Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operations. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Reports say that authorities made the arrest around 5:43 p.m. on Idaho Drive after they found Hall inside of a vehicle. All rights reserved. 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 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. 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OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Arraignments held for 13 people charged in NLR-area drug bust 2021-11-11 - DALE ELLIS . Dubbed Operation Candyland, this investigation by the FBI, Arkansas Eastern District of Arkansas Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. 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. Three more defendants, Quincy Martez Chambers, Deandreian Devonte Meadows, and Joseph Riggins, Jr., are charged separately in stand-alone indictments. 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. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Givens and Benecia Moore. of methamphetamine and around 24,000 pills of an unknown substance. Arkansas Drug Director Kirk Lane is seeing more of these stories, massive busts on highways and side roads as traffickers travel the state. Little Rock, AR 72203, Telephone:(501) 340-2600 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. 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. J. Volpe later. The second investigation focused on the Loady Murder Mobb gang and resulted in the indictment of 26 defendants. At this time, agents located LSD, Kratom, marijuana, paraphernalia, MDMA (ecstasy), mushrooms, $2,449.00, five firearms, and cocaine. One out of every six of these pills on the average contains a lethal dose, Lane said, referring to fentanyl. 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. Main Office: Main Office: Legal Statement. Collins was killed in a shootout Oct. 5, 2020, while working an investigation at the Econo Lodge motel in Pine Bluff. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Law enforcement began early this morning by searching for 72 suspects, all of whom were indicted for federal gun and drug trafficking crimes. All rights reserved. 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. Authorities took Hall to the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility where he's currently being held without bond until he appears in North Little Rock Court on Tuesday, January 4, 2022. The drugs were then distributed to individuals in Little Rock and Pine Bluff, Arkansas, as well as Houston, Texas. 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. or redistributed. Subscribe Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 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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. 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. 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. Eighteen individuals were indicted because of the DEAs investigation. Authorities arrested Michael Hall and during the arrest police found nearly two handguns, digital scales, suboxone, marijuana, and nearly 2-lbs of fentanyl in his possession that's valued at roughly $175,520 according to reports. 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Little Rock police arrested a woman on drug-trafficking charges Thursday afternoon after finding more than 1,000 tablets of Xanax at a West Markham Street residence, according to an arrest report. [], During this years competition, competitors will use their robots to simulate a waterway cleanup. Unfortunately, its getting to be the norm, Lane said. Police lights are shown in this file photo. According to the Johnson County Sheriff's office, the driver of a vehicle ran away from the traffic stop after a deputy saw methamphetamine . O.C. A locked padlock Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 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. Rhodes appeared in front of U.S. District Judge Brian S. Miller and was taken into custody after agreeing to plead guilty. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. A lock ( The third investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA, which began in August 2021 after the agency and North Little Rock Police Department identified street-level methamphetamine and fentanyl dealers in central Arkansas, who were connected to the same source of supply as the rival gangs. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. News of Gladney's arrest was reported by TMZ on Wednesday afternoon. Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. Market data provided by Factset. Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_6) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/15.5 Safari/605.1.15, First United Methodist Church Mountain Home, Gardening in the Ozarks with Vicki Garner, Live in the Boat with Binks Guide Service. An indictment contains only allegations. "We've taken most of those into custody and in the coming days we hope to take the remainder in," he said. FBIs GETROCK Task Force was formed in 2017 in response to the escalation in gang and gun violence in Little Rock. ARKANSAS The season of giving is here, and the Postal Service is putting out the call for kind-hearted, generous people across the country to sign [], An unfortunate accident happened Saturday evening in Jonesboro involving a patrol car and a civilian driver. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. He adds the dedication of this deputy resulted in more than just drugs off the street it saved lives, potentially thousands. Both agencies believe this seizure of drugs will not only impact the drug trade locally, but also help to identify the 'bad actors' in the city of Little Rock. A federal investigation dubbed Operation Mad Hatter led to the arrest of 15 individuals authorities say are tied to a central Arkansas drug trafficking organization. Tuesday, the unnamed drug interdiction deputy was patrolling along highway 67 near Searcy when he pulled over a car for a lane change violation. Further, there were numerous items used to produce, grow, cultivate, package, and sell controlled substances. We are proud of this partnership which remains focused on dismantling the violent criminal enterprises which attempt to root their networks within our communities, said Special Agent In Charge David T. Resch of the FBI Little Rock Field Office. If you want to plan the perfect spring picnic, food and drink are important, but its certainly not the only factor to consider. 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. DEA is committed to its partnerships with all of our law enforcement allies in our ongoing efforts to make our communities safer and a better place for our families and children. The street value of the package of DMT is over $100,000. 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. In recent weeks, Little Rock police and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have teamed up in an effort to help combat violent crimes. Fax Line:(501) 340-2728. The release says authorities seized about 16.2 pounds of cocaine, 7.7 pounds of marijuana, 13 firearms and $9,540. Three men pleaded guilty in two separate fentanyl cases in federal court in Little Rock on Wednesday. A search found methamphetamine, cocaine, Ecstasy, marijuana and a digital scale, according to the report. LITTLE ROCKThree federal investigations culminated in 45 arrests this morning. Detectives arrested Krystal Bolen, 37, the report said. Prior to Wednesdays FBI arrests in their operations involving the EBK and Loady Murder Mobb gangs, investigators seized 42 firearms, including two machine guns; approximately $775,000 in cash and $428,000 in jewelry; approximately 278 pounds of marijuana, which has an approximate street value of $450,000; 7 ounces of cocaine; 3 ounces of crack cocaine; 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine; and 116 pills containing fentanyl. Ellington, while in handcuffs, broke free from police and fled a short distance before being recaptured, the report said. HOUSTON RAPPER THE BREADMAN GETS 23 YEARS FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING. Law enforcement began early Wednesday morning by searching for 72 suspects, all of whom were indicted for federal gun and drug trafficking crimes. 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. 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. Not only are the drugs taken off the street, but the associated weapons and criminal enterprise is removed from our neighborhoods. During the stop, he asked to search the car and was given permission by the driver. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Javier Rodela and Alejandro Flores of El Paso Texas were charged with trafficking a controlled substance and are being held in the White County Detention Center on $400,000 bonds. "His name is still out there, people still think about him and he's still helping to make arrests," Hobbs said. Agents made contact with these two individuals at their apartment on 3rd Street in Marmaduke. LITTLE ROCK (KATV) Seven people have been arrested in connection with an ongoing drug investigation in Jonesboro. 2:20 CR 20017-001-018 (Original Indictment issued August 26, 2020, Superseding Indictment issued October 7, 2020) An official website of the United States government. "Kevin really worked hard at his job and being a police officer," Hobbs said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Pine Bluff Police Detective Kevin Collins was shot and killed in October 2020 while serving an arrest warrant on an EBK associate wanted for a homicide in Georgia. Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine is punishable by not less than 10 years, not more than life, incarceration in the Bureau of Prisons with a possible fine of up to $10,000,000, and not less than five years supervised release. LITTLE ROCK-A sweeping law-enforcement operation that involved numerous agencies and targeted members of a drug-trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of multiple kilograms of methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine in central Arkansas resulted in more than a dozen arrests Tuesday morning. Fax Line:(501) 340-2728. Gladney was arrested Wednesday in Jonesboro. Three men pleaded guilty in two separate fentanyl cases in federal court in Little Rock on Wednesday. Manuel Taylor was charged in a separate indictment. Marshals, Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas State Police, the U.S. Attorneys office, and the FBI.. 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 investigation revealed drug trafficking and travel between Arkansas and Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Oklahoma.". Afterward, Charles Hobbs, Collins' stepfather, expressed his appreciation for the work that went into the investigations. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Between March 2021 and June 2022, the FBI utilized 12 wiretaps to get real-time information and intervene to prevent violence in Pine Bluff, Little Rock and other communities throughout the state. TWO MEN BUSTED FOR ATTEMPTING TO SELL FENTANYL TO VETS IN BOSTON VA SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAM, Rapper Bankroll Freddie attends 1st Party of The Year at Gold Room on January 1, 2022 in Atlanta. Official websites use .gov This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Givens. Postal 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. Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana: Possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine: Possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine is punishable by not less than 10 years, not more than life, incarceration in the Bureau of Prisons with a possible fine of up to $10,000,000, and not less than five years supervised release. Jim Dawson, the special agent in charge of the local FBI office, said after Collins' death, the FBI banded together with investigative partners around the state to accelerate efforts to address the problem of violent crime in central Arkansas. 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. Collins' parents, Charles and Dornetta Hobbs of Pine Bluff, attended the press conference. During FBI wiretapped phone calls and text messages between Fordson and Fuller, Fordson negotiated the purchase and distribution of fentanyl from Fuller. He said the arrests on Wednesday began at 6 a.m. as officers fanned out looking for more than 60 defendants named in the two FBI indictments. Box 1229 Gioelli faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Drug trafficking brings violence and fear to our communities, and we will do everything we can to protect our streets from these crimes, stated Jonathan D. Ross, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Lock Email Email. U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross said Wednesday's operation was part of an ongoing effort to address the problem of gang violence in central Arkansas. Lock The indictment was handed down by a Federal Grand Jury on September 11, 2014. "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.". We will continue to identify and bring to justice offenders like these to protect our communities and the U.S. Mail.. The indictment was handed down by a Federal Grand Jury on . We are fortunate to have good working relationships where drug trafficking organizations such as this one are dismantled. According to a news report, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas said a grand jury indicted 19 . No Thanks Collins and another officer were shot in the incident, and Collins died of his wounds at a local hospital. The units investigations and operations are coordinated out of FBI Little Rocks field office, and GETROCK continues to serve as the clearinghouse for gang-related law enforcement activity in Central Arkansas. Three; Michael Dawkins, Rodriques Davis and Richard Beason, are still at large. But it wasnt until the vehicle was taken back to the department that the full extent of hidden narcotics was found. Multiple undercover operations and numerous other law enforcement actions, including multiple seizures of cocaine and crack cocaine were used during the investigation. According to the plea agreement, Fordson was responsible for between 24 and 32 grams of fentanyl. In December 2020, the Drug Enforcement. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones.
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drug bust in little rock arkansas 2021