A federally led drug sweep into methamphetamine and heroin trafficking in Baxter and five other counties in Northwest Arkansas has led to the arrest of 13 individuals.
The announcement of the sweep came in a release from the Western District of the U.S. Department of Justice in Fort Smith and indicates the arrests by local, state, and federal law enforcement were part of a roundup following an over year-long investigation.
Among those making the announcement was 14th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney David Ethredge. The joint investigation among 12 agencies included the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office.
Nine defendants were arrested on federal charges, and four were arrested on state charges. The 13 were not identified. Three additional defendants, Mark Mock, Ricky Smith, and Albert Bynum, Jr. had already been arrested on federal charges and are in custody. Their ages and addresses were not provided. Law enforcement also executed two federal search warrants in Harrison and Lead Hill as part of the operation.
On July 25, a federal grand jury returned two separate indictments charging 11 individuals in Arkansas and Missouri with a total of 24 counts relating to the distribution of methamphetamine. The indictments were unsealed Thursday.
In addition, four persons in Eureka Springs suspected of trafficking in heroin in that area were arrested.
The arrests Thursday are directly related to last years federal arrests of 19 individuals in the Harrison area in an FBI led investigation. Of the 19 individuals arrested in last years related operation, 18 have been convicted and are currently awaiting sentencing before the Honorable P.K. Holmes, III, Chief Judge for the Western District of Arkansas.
Fourteenth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Ethredge says he would like to thank the many law enforcement officers that worked so hard and so long on this investigation. Ethredge says by combining resources and working together, the 12 agencies were able to accomplish what none of them could have otherwise accomplished on their own.
The federal defendants who were arrested Thursday will appear in the United States District in Fayetteville before United States Magistrate Judge Erin Wiedemann on Monday afternoon at 3:00.
The release notes an indictment is merely an accusation. An arrest warrant represents a finding of probable cause that a person has committed a criminal offense. A person is presumed innocent unless or until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI