Springdale Drug Kingpin Sentenced to Over Five Years in Meth Case

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS – In a major blow to the meth trade in Springdale, Jose Maria Calderon, 48, was sentenced today to 65 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The sentencing hearing was presided over by Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks.

According to court documents, Calderon conducted two controlled buys with DEA and Springdale Narcotics Unit investigators, totaling over 10 grams delivered to a confidential source. A subsequent search at his residence yielded $783 in cash, two cell phones, and a substantial quantity of methamphetamine hidden within a lampshade.

Calderon confessed to monthly deliveries of methamphetamine for the past year and was found with digital scales, packaging materials, a heat sealer, wire transfer receipts, and 1.14 grams of cocaine. The lab confirmed the seized substance as 294 grams of actual methamphetamine and 1.4 grams of cocaine mixture.

Indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2016 and pleading guilty in July, Calderon’s sentence was a result of his role as a drug dealer, according to DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Barden. ‘We are committed to thwarting the methamphetamine threat in Arkansas,’ said Barden.

The investigation and prosecution were led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Springdale Narcotics Unit, with Assistant United States Attorney Amy Driver handling the case for the U.S.

For more court documents, visit www.pacer.gov.

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