Fernando Canales-Mendoza, Methamphetamine Distribution, Arkansas 2014

Related Federal Cases

Michael Sartin, Methamphetamine Distribution, Arkansas 2023 · Arkansas
Ulysses Bush, Methamphetamine Distribution, Arkansas 2024 · Arkansas
Eddie Bonner, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Arkansas 2024 · Arkansas
James Edward Poole, Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy, Iowa 2013 · Iowa
Arther James, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Arkansas 2023 · Kansas

Table of Contents

Fernando Canales-Mendoza Found Guilty of Methamphetamine Distribution in Northwest Arkansas

A jury in the United States District Court in Fort Smith, Arkansas, has found Fernando Canales-Mendoza, 52, a Mexican citizen living in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, guilty of four counts related to the distribution of methamphetamine. The verdict was announced by Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.

The guilty verdict came after a two-day jury trial presided over by the Honorable Robert T. Dawson. Canales-Mendoza was found guilty of two counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine, one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute more than fifty grams of Methamphetamine, and one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine.

The evidence presented during the trial showed that on April 30, 2014, Canales-Mendoza sold one ounce of methamphetamine to an undercover agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in exchange for $1,400.00. The agent was also provided an additional ounce to be paid for at a later time.

On May 7, 2014, the undercover agent paid Canales-Mendoza $1,500.00 for the additional ounce and purchased another ounce of methamphetamine for $1,400.00. On August 27, 2014, the undercover agent met with Canales-Mendoza again and requested four ounces of methamphetamine. Canales-Mendoza showed the agent approximately three to three and a half ounces of methamphetamine he had, prompting the agent to leave to get additional funds.

After the agent left, DEA agents executed an arrest warrant on Canales-Mendoza and a search warrant on his place of business, confiscating approximately 137 grams of methamphetamine.

Canales-Mendoza faces a sentence of ten years to life in prison, up to a $10,000,000 fine, or both. The sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, role in the offense, and characteristics of the violations.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon Carter and Sydney Butler prosecuted the case for the United States.

Canales-Mendoza’s conviction is a positive step forward for Arkansans, according to U.S. Attorney Eldridge. ‘Children in Carroll County and across the Western District of Arkansas deserve to grow up in communities free from illegal drug trafficking and the violence and other crime that comes with it.’