A Little Rock man who is a defendant in one of three major fentanyl distribution cases in Central Arkansas faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine after pleading guilty Friday in federal court to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Christopher Faucette, 30, was one of 23 people indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2019, accused of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl as part of a fentanyl distribution ring. In the indictment, Faucette was charged with conspiring to distribute between 40 and 400 grams of fentanyl between June 2018 and October 2019.
As part of a plea agreement with the U.S. attorney's office in Little Rock, Faucette pleaded guilty Friday to one count of conspiracy to distribute between 8 and 16 grams of the drug, a cheap but powerful synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine that is often mixed with other drugs to increase potency. It has been linked to thousands of drug overdose deaths throughout the United States.
Faucette entered the plea to a superseding information charging him with the lesser amount of the drug, waiving formal indictment in exchange for dismissal of the charge contained in the original indictment. Federal sentencing guidelines in drug cases take into consideration a variety of factors related to a defendant, including the amount of drugs a defendant is charged.
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"Unless you waive indictment you may not be charged with a felony unless a grand jury finds by return of indictment that there is probable cause that a crime has been committed,"U.S. District Judge Kristine G. Baker told Faucette at the start of the hearing. "If you waive indictment this morning this case will proceed against you ... just as though you have been indicted."
Through his attorney, Greg Bryant of Little Rock, Faucette indicated he wished to waive indictment and proceed with the plea hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benecia Moore, outlining the case the government has against Faucette, said an FBI wiretap placed on a suspected drug dealer's cellphone captured a number of conversations and text messages between the suspect and Faucette related to fentanyl distribution.
"In June of 2018 the FBI began investigating the drug trafficking activities" of the drug dealing suspect, Moore said.
Moore said information gathered during the wiretap implicated Faucette in the drug trafficking organization. She said Faucette purchased fentanyl from the suspect in quantities of one-half gram to a gram on numerous occasions, "some for personal use and some for redistribution."
"Did you listen carefully to Ms. Moore's statement?" Baker asked Faucette.
"Yes, Your Honor," he replied.
"Is what Ms. Moore stated -- as far as your conduct is concerned that's charged in the superseding information -- accurate?" Baker asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Faucette said.
"Is there anything ... that's not accurate?" she asked.
"No, ma'am," Faucette responded.
After accepting Faucette's guilty plea, Baker said that after completion and review of a pre-sentence investigation by the U.S. probation office -- which normally takes about 90 days -- she will schedule a sentencing hearing by separate order.
To date, two of the 23 defendants in the case have been sentenced to time served in pretrial detention, and charges were dismissed against two others.
Of the remaining 19 defendants, four -- including Faucette -- have entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing, three have plea hearings scheduled for early next year, and the remaining 12 defendants are scheduled to go to trial June 13.