Fort Smith, Arkansas – A California man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking operation in the Ozarks.
Gary Murl Beck, 54, of Fallbrook, California, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. The sentence will run concurrently with any sentence he receives in the state of California, followed by three years of supervised release. The sentencing hearing was held in the United States District Court in Fort Smith before the Honorable Chief Judge P. K. Holmes, III.
According to court records, the investigation began on September 29, 2015, when the Eureka Springs Police Department arrested co-conspirator Jeffrey Vanroy for possession of methamphetamine. The suspected substance was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab, where it was determined to be 52 grams of actual methamphetamine. Agents discovered that the methamphetamine had originally been sent by FedEx to co-conspirator Stephen Carufel at his residence in Eureka Springs.
Vanroy, who was living with Carufel at the time, took the package when it was delivered, knowing it contained methamphetamine. Police were able to recover the FedEx packaging and found the sender listed as Gary Backe from Fallbrook, California. However, California law enforcement identified the sender as Gary Murl Beck, also from Fallbrook, California. It was discovered that Beck had used the alias Gary Backe.
Agents executed a search warrant on Beck’s residence on October 6, 2015, where they found over one pound of methamphetamine, along with the receipt for one of the packages that Beck had shipped to Carufel. Agents also retrieved messages between Beck and Carufel from Beck’s cell phone, discussing the delivery and payment for the methamphetamine.
A search warrant executed on Carufel’s residence produced MoneyGram receipts, cancelled personal checks, and wire transfers made out to Beck for the methamphetamine from April 2014 to October 2015. Beck was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 9, 2016, and pleaded guilty on October 25, 2016.
Co-conspirator Stephen Carufel pleaded guilty to Aiding and Abetting Money Laundering and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on June 7, 2016, and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison on October 27, 2016.
Co-conspirator Jeffrey Vanroy pleaded guilty to Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on June 9, 2016, and was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison on November 9, 2016.
Homeland Security Investigations assisted the Eureka Springs Police Department in the investigation of this case, and Assistant United States Attorney Candace Taylor prosecuted the case for the United States.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.
Related Federal Cases
- Vennis Minosa Oates Jr., Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Alabama 2024 · Arkansas
- Metin Metlu Sado, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, California 2023 · Kansas
- Javier Leon, Methamphetamine Possession with Intent to Distribute, Arkansas 2015 · Colorado
- Ian Dudley, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, New Jersey 2023 · New Hampshire
- Vanessa Rene Dundon, Methamphetamine Possession with Intent to Distribute, Arizona 2022 · Colorado
Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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