A federal jury in Arkansas has convicted a Little Rock man for his role in fentanyl trafficking and gun possession. Montrell Austin, 41, was found guilty of multiple federal drug and firearm crimes after a two-day trial.
Austin was convicted of possessing with intent to distribute approximately a quarter pound of fentanyl and five guns. The jury delivered the verdict on Tuesday to Chief United States District Court Judge Kristine G. Baker, who will sentence Austin at a later date.
The statutory penalty for possession with intent to deliver over 40 grams but less than 400 grams of fentanyl is not less than 5 years but not more than 40 years’ imprisonment. However, since Austin was also convicted of committing the fentanyl offense after a previous conviction for a serious drug offense, he is subject to an enhanced penalty of not less than 10 years, but not more than life imprisonment.
Austin faces not more than 10 years’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and not less than five years’ imprisonment for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which must be served consecutive to any other sentence.
The investigation, led by the Little Rock Police Department with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, uncovered evidence of a narcotics operation at a shop on Geyer Springs Road in Southwest Little Rock. Detectives found six guns, nearly a quarter pound of fentanyl, a brick press, scales, mixing equipment, and over $10,000 in U.S. currency during the execution of a search warrant in November 2021.
Austin claimed ownership of the guns and drugs, stating that everything in the shop was his. A co-defendant, Tarik Slater, 26, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison by Chief Judge Baker on January 11, 2025.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Eldridge and Julie Peters. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas will continue to work to combat fentanyl trafficking and gun violence in the region.
Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar.
The investigation into Austin’s activities is ongoing, and the public is encouraged to report any information regarding illegal narcotics sales or gun possession to the authorities.
The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat fentanyl trafficking and gun violence in the region. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas will continue to work to protect the community and hold those responsible for these crimes accountable.
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Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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