Ronald Craig Smith, one of 17 people named in a 37-count indictment as a member of what authorities called the Desmond Kelley drug-trafficking organization, pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to conspiracy charges.
Smith, 28, was originally charged with one count of conspiracy with intent to distribute fentanyl and two counts of use of a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking crime. As part of a plea deal, the conspiracy count and one count of use of a telephone were dismissed.
Smith, who appeared Friday via a videoconference from the Dallas County jail in Fordyce, faces a possible maximum sentence of four years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Brian S. Miller, defense attorney Erin Cassinelli and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Givens were present Friday in the courtroom.
Givens outlined the government's case against Smith, much of which was obtained through the use of a wiretap on a cellular telephone that belonged to Darrell Walls, one of the co-defendants in the case. Walls is charged with one count of conspiracy, two counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and four counts of distribution of fentanyl.
"A DEA investigation into drug crimes around Little Rock identified Darrell Walls, Desmond Kelley and others as large-scale fentanyl and heroin distributors," Givens said. "The DEA, using confidential informants, made a series of controlled purchases of narcotics from those individuals in 2018 and 2019."
Givens said based on those buys and corroborating information received from confidential informants, investigators placed a wiretap on Walls' phone for a 30-day period, during which time Smith came to the attention of investigators as a customer of Walls. He said Smith purchased fentanyl from Walls, which Smith distributed to others.
"For example," Givens said, "on May 7, 2019, as charged in count 33, Mr. Smith called Walls and after inquiring where Walls had been, Walls responded, 'I'm back though.' Mr. Smith said, 'All right, I didn't want to blow you up. I'm just saying I'm bringing this other dude, I've been bringing this other dude some chicken (fentanyl), you hear me? He's been eating good.'"
Givens said Smith then asked Walls where he was, to which Walls replied, "Moving around." The two men then coordinated a spot where they would make the exchange of fentanyl, Givens continued.
"At this call, Mr. Smith was wanting to purchase fentanyl from Mr. Walls," Givens said. "Smith advised that he had been giving fentanyl to another subject who had been eating good, referring to purchasing fentanyl."
Givens said the two men arranged to meet at an auto parts store in Little Rock to make the exchange.
"Including all related conduct, Mr. Smith is being held responsible for at least eight grams, but less than 16 grams of fentanyl," Givens said.
"Mr. Smith, do you understand the nature of the charges against you and the maximum penalty you face?" Miller asked the defendant
"I do," replied Smith, who then entered a guilty plea to the single count contained in the plea agreement.
Smith will be sentenced after completion of a pre-sentence investigation report by the federal probation office. A sentencing date will be set after Smith reviews the report and any issues that are brought up are resolved.
To date, two of the 17 defendants in the case have been sentenced.
Coulton Wade was sentenced Dec. 21 to 57 months in prison and three years' supervised release on one count of distribution of fentanyl. Julie Eddy was sentenced Thursday to three years' probation on one count of using a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking crime.