FORT SMITH — Twenty-two people have been convicted and sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the parts they played in distributing drugs for a larger organization.
David Clay Fowlkes, acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, made the announcement in the district’s ongoing Operation Bear Mountain Bingo during an online news conference Wednesday morning. The operation is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force program.
“This operation was designed from the beginning to dismantle, disrupt and put out of business a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was distributing drugs right here in the River Valley and Fort Smith, Ark.,” Fowlkes said.
These efforts have also led to about 6.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 15 firearms and $146,687 derived from drug trafficking being seized, according to a news release from Fowlkes’ office.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents launched an investigation into drug trafficking and money laundering in the Western District of Arkansas in Fall 2019, the news release states. Agents extensively investigated a large, River Valley-based drug trafficking organization between September of that year and September 2020. The group was led by Manuel “Chuy” De Jesus Perez-Echeverria, 36, of Fort Smith, according to the news release.
The 22 people sentenced were:
• Perez-Echeverria: Sentenced Oct. 22 to 30 years in federal prison, $100 special assessment and $20,000 fine for conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
• Humberto “Beto” Acosta-Martinez, 33, of Poteau, Okla.: Sentenced Oct. 12 to four years in prison, $100 special assessment and $300 fine for conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
• Shaun Michael Easton, 40, of Fort Smith: Sentenced Tuesday to nine years in prison, $100 special assessment and $900 fine for distribution of more than five grams of methamphetamine.
• Julio Ivan Enriquez-Munoz, 41, of Oklahoma City: Sentenced Monday to four years and three months in prison, $100 special assessment and $400 fine for conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
• Alberto Ledesma, 43, of Fort Smith: Sentenced Oct. 18 to 15 years and 8 months in prison, $100 special assessment and $2,900 fine for distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
• Efrain Maciel-Martinez, 54, of Fort Smith: Sentenced Oct. 14 to six years and six months months in prison, $100 special assessment and $300 fine for possession of more than 50 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
• Makayla Nicole Martin, 22, of Fort Smith: Sentenced Oct. 15 to five years and three months in prison, $100 special assessment and $1,400 fine for money laundering.
• Traye Everett Martin, 26, of Fort Smith: Sentenced Oct. 14 to four years and nine months in prison, $100 special assessment and $1,400 fine for conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
• Nicholas “Nico” Moron-Rivera, 29, of Fort Smith: Pleaded guilty Sept. 16 to distribution of methamphetamine. Sentencing hasn’t been scheduled yet.
• Julie Ann Pyles, 42, of Fort Smith: Sentenced Oct. 13 to six years and six months in prison, $100 special assessment and $1,400 fine for money laundering.
• Paula Lynne Rider, 58, of Fort Smith: Sentenced Oct. 6 to seven years and three months in prison, $100 special assessment and $900 fine for conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
• Ezequiel Rodriguez, 43, of Heavener, Okla.: Sentenced Oct. 21 to 17 years and six months in prison, $100 special assessment, $14,653.19 in restitution to the Drug Enforcement Administration for methamphetamine laboratory cleanup/abatement for conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
• Ronal Salinas, 24, of Fort Smith: Sentenced Oct. 5 to two years and nine months in prison, $100 special assessment and $900 fine for distribution of more than five grams of methamphetamine.
• Benjamin Valdez , 38, of Paris: Sentenced Oct. 21 to 21 years and 10 months in prison, $100 special assessment and a $5,000 fine for distribution of more than five grams of methamphetamine.
• Amber Renee Vance, 35, of Fort Smith: Sentenced July 21 to 10 years and 10 months in prison and $100 special assessment for conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
• Richard James Vineyard, 33, of Fort Smith: Sentenced Nov. 9 to 10 years in prison, $100 special assessment and $900 fine for conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
• Emily Elizabeth Williams, 31, of Fort Smith: Sentenced Oct. 5 to five years and 10 months in prison, $100 special assessment and $900 fine for conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
• Michael Dean Wilson, 38, of Hot Springs: Sentenced Oct. 13 to nine years and two months in prison, $100 special assessment and $1,900 fine for conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
• Alexis Tirado, 27, of Fort Smith: Sentenced April 8 to 15 years in prison and $100 special assessment for aiding and abetting in the distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
• Emmanuel Miranda, 25, of Fort Smith: Sentenced April 1 to six years and six months in prison and $100 special assessment for conspiracy to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine.
• Israel Miranda-Zapata, 30, of Fort Smith: Sentenced April 1 to nine years in prison and $100 special assessment for conspiracy to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine.
• Brenda Golden Day, 36, of Fort Smith: Sentenced April 1 to five years in prison and $100 special assessment for distribution of more than five grams of methamphetamine.
Fowlkes said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Fort Smith, Greenwood and Paris police departments, Crawford, Logan, and Sebastian County sheriff’s offices and 12th and 21st Judicial District Drug Task Force were also involved in this operation, as well as Arkansas State Police and Oklahoma Highway Patrol.