Suspect in shooting of Springdale woman shot by officer after pointing gun at police, Communication program for people with nonverbal autistm coming to Fort Smith, Heavy rain and storms likely to increase Thursday across Arkansas, Storm warning fatigue | Alerting Arkansas. Investigation spanned more than year by Thomas Saccente | September 14, 2020 at 3:00 a High near 75F Find latests mugshots and bookings from Greenwood and other local cities 679 679. Once a bed opens up, a drug user must recover in a different Harbor House than he would outside the pandemic. February 22, 2023. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearings for the United States District Court in Fort Smith. Fort Smith Transit provides local bus transportation on seven core routes. Measures like prohibited gathering in social spaces from mid-March to the beginning of May also contributed to drug addiction, Smith said. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. These arrests require the arrestees to post a bond or . Fort Smith is located at 35227N 942355W (35.368691, 94.398737). Wright told KATV they were able to arrest 22 out of the 30 . Measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Arkansas created an environment that lends itself to drug use, officials say. Now Mounts, a paramedic supervisor for Fort Smith EMS, responds to two or three such calls. Smith in December also said perceived hopelessness contributes to drug addiction. Full Story Smith said members of his team didnt execute as many search warrants at the beginning of the pandemic. "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. #7-2023. Investigation spanned more than year by Thomas Saccente | September 14, 2020 at 3:00 a.m. FORT SMITH -- Fourteen people were arrested by federal, state and local law enforcement in. 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. Investigators said they still have several outstanding warrants to serve and more arrests are expected to happen during the next few days. Work Fort Smith Director Miles Crawford in April said widespread joblessness is a predicting factor in widespread drug abuse. 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. The Drug Task Force has since established social distancing and personal protective equipment protocols to ensure they can continue their work. 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. Agents extensively investigated a large, River Valley-based drug trafficking organization between September of that year and September 2020. Ezequiel Rodriguez age 43. Efrain Maciel-Martinez age 54, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced October 14, 2021 to 78 months BOP, $100 special assessment, $300 fine for Possession of More Than Fifty (50) Grams of a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Attorneys Cody Hiland and Dak Kees and DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Justin King announced the arrests Friday in Little Rock.The three say authorities also seized 211 guns, more than . Ive ran into a couple of people who have overdosed over the past few days, most of them accidentally, Mounts said. By how many american ships were sunk in ww2. THEFT BY RECEIVING. Around 6 a.m. 70 officers from multiple agencies went to execute 30 narcotic related search warrants in Dewitt, Stuttgart and Gillett. But they also say drug trends were affected by economic effects of virus precautions. The sentencings of the drug trafficking organization members are as follows: WDAR Case No. Ledesma and a defendant not arrested on at least two occasions each dealt more than 50 grams of the substance, the indictment states. All rights reserved. The indictment included fifteen counts, all of which involved the distribution of methamphetamine or laundering of money earned from the distribution of methamphetamine. Its hit them hard, but for the most part, theyre motivated to change their lives. 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. In August 2020, a federal grand jury returned an Indictment charging several individuals in the Fort Smith, Arkansas area with a large-scale, multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 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. We just adjusted with the pandemic, and now were back to normalcy, Smith said. Harbor Behavior Health has partnered with state and federal agencies for the Promoting Positive Emotions program, which offers free behavioral health services free of charge to Arkansans. A locked padlock 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 violent offenders not only sold large quantities of methamphetamine, but also used firearms and committed acts of violence in furtherance of their crimes," Byerley said. 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. Dana Lamus-December 22, 2020. Multiple sheriff's deputies shot in officer-involved shooting. The closest airport is Fort Smith Airport, located in town, but the nearest major airport is Northwest Arkansas Regional, 81 miles north of Fort 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. Family visits have been prohibited. 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. 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. The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justices drug supply reduction strategy. An indictment is merely an accusation. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Fort Smith PD: 2020-00007481 . "We could almost expect to see this increase," Smith said. 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. He said COVID-19, which has forced people into social isolation and uncertainty about the future, has likely contributed to this significant increase. He also said the wait time could prompt drug users to use more heavily because they know they will eventually receive treatment. He received six years on each felony conviction, but that time was tolled to run concurrently. An estimated 12,600 people lost their jobs in the Fort Smith region from restrictions placed on businesses, according to Western Arkansas Planning and Development District officials. The indictment included 15 counts involving methamphetamine distribution or laundering money earned from distributing methamphetamine. Visit Northwest Arkansas' most reliable source for breaking news. 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. Traye Everett Martin age 26, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced October 14, 2021 to 57 months BOP, $100 special assessment, $1,400 fine for Conspiracy to Distribute a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine. Those counts were dropped as a condition of the plea deal on Thursday. He is serving out his current sentence in the Delta Regional Unit in Dermont. There are around a dozen national hotel chains in Fort Smith, concentrated around the local airport. Fort Smith, Arkansas David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, Brad L. Byerley, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Diane L. Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, announced that 14 individuals were arrested today by federal, state, and local law enforcement as part of a roundup following an over year-long investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in Sebastian, Crawford, and Logan Counties in Arkansas. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The four individuals were arrested on August 5, 2020, and are identified as Emmanuel Miranda, Israel Miranda-Zapata, Brenda Golden Day, and Alexis Tirado. 14 individuals were arrested today by federal, state, and local law enforcement in Sebastian, Crawford, and Logan Counties as part of a roundup following an over year-long. Humberto Beto Acosta-Martinez age 33, Poteau, Oklahoma sentenced October 12, 2021 to 48 months BOP, $100 special assessment, $300 fine for Conspiracy to Distribute a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine. FORT SMITH (KFSM) Seventeen people have been arrested for various drug-related charges. This, in turn, can increase the likelihood of overdoses. Western District of Arkansas 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. Fort Smith. Sex Offender Search Search for Offenders and register for e-mail alerts to help protect your family. New Orleans Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy. Coats, a former heroin user, said human connection is an integral part of recovery. During arrest operations Tuesday morning, agents recovered several more ounces of methamphetamine and cocaine and approximately an additional $10,000 in suspected drug proceeds. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is the largest source for award winning news and opinion that matters to you. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Fourteen of the defendants were arrested Thursday on a fifteen-count indictment involving the distribution of methamphetamine and money laundering from the alleged drug trafficking scheme. Sebastian County Circuit Court is the highest trial court in Sebastian County. 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. 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 . 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. Work Fort Smith Director Miles Crawford in April said widespread joblessness is a predicting factor in widespread drug abuse. This is up from a wait time that under normal circumstances can stretch up to two months, Coats said. Mounts recommended family members with loved ones who are addicted to drugs have a naloxone kit on hand in case of an overdose. This was around the same time EMTs saw their spike in overdose calls. The drug users in the Fort Smith region were willing to pay full price. The four individuals were arrested on August 5, 2020, and are identified as Emmanuel Miranda, Israel Miranda-Zapata, Brenda Golden Day, and Alexis Tirado. In-person meetings with recovery coaches have been limited. Recovery workers also cant take their clients to the meetings, Coats said. Total Annual Drug Arrests In The United States By Offense Type. Booking Date: 02-13-2023 - 3:14 pm. He said they encourage people not to use drugs whenever they can, especially when theyre reaching an age where they may start using. These arrests are for a variety of drugs ranging from marijuana to meth and cocaine. Outlaws collided with Federal Judge Parker. Western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma's local news leader! David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, Brad L. Byerley, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Diane L. Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, announced that 14 individuals were arrested today by federal, state, and local law enforcement as part of a roundup following an over year-long investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in Sebastian, Crawford, and Logan Counties in Arkansas. 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. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. According to Luft, the Regime had him arrested on bogus weapon trafficking charges last month in an effort to silence him. "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. Mugshots TODAY IN FORT SMITH TodayInFortSmith@gmail.com (479) 461-0126 TODAY IN FORT SMITH Serving 28 counties in western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma! 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. Thirty-seven -year-old Carlton Deshane Mathews, who has addresses listed in both Pine Bluff and Waldron, appeared in court on a number of felony drug counts on Friday. Perez-Echeverria two days later allegedly conducted a similar transaction with Rodriguez and Pyles. If the family member does overdose, he said, the family members should make sure his or her airway is clear and call 911. At one time, Federal marshals used to ride out of the United States and into Indian Territory at this juncture. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. In 2019, drug traffickers pumped it into the region, which already had one of the highest opioid prescription rates per capita in the state. 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. MENU MENU. FORT SMITH (KFSM) Seventeen people have been arrested for various drug-related charges. 2020: 2019: 2018: 2015: 2010: Table: Drug Arrest Data for 2010-2020 Table: Total Annual Arrests in the US by Year and Type of Offense FBI Uniform Crime Report. We urge anyone with information about Arkansas criminal organizations to contact our FBI office.. Official websites use .gov Amber Renee Vance age 35, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced July 21, 2021 to 130 months BOP and a $100 special assessment for Conspiracy to Distribute a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine. 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. Twelve members of illegal operation sentenced to federal prison terms. 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. 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