LITTLE ROCK, AR – A night of drugs in Saline County turned deadly, and now April Adams, 62, and her daughter, Amber Church, 38, both of Hensley, Arkansas, are facing decades behind bars. A federal jury on Wednesday convicted the pair of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl that led to the death of one individual, following a three-day trial. Adams was also found guilty of distributing methamphetamine, and Church was convicted of distributing fentanyl.
The grim scene unfolded on April 16, 2023, when Saline County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence on Crab Apple Circle regarding multiple overdose victims. First responders found four individuals suffering from overdoses. While three were revived with Narcan, one was pronounced dead at the scene. The subsequent investigation quickly pointed to Adams and Church as the source of the lethal narcotics.
Court testimony revealed a chilling account of the events. Two surviving overdose victims detailed how Adams offered methamphetamine to the group upon their arrival. Church then allegedly requested “cocaine” from her mother, retrieving a substance from Adams’ room and distributing it among the group, including the eventual fatality. That substance, authorities confirmed, was fentanyl.
The effects were immediate and devastating. All four users, including Church herself, began to lose consciousness after ingesting the fentanyl. What’s particularly damning is the delay in seeking help. Adams reportedly waited a full 45 minutes before contacting a friend – not 911 – to report the unfolding medical emergency. A delay that likely cost a life.
United States District Court Judge James M. Moody, Jr., will determine the sentences for both Adams and Church at a later date. Both women remain in federal custody and face a statutory minimum of 20 years in prison on the fentanyl-related charges. Adams also faces an additional 20 years for the methamphetamine conviction. The drug offenses also carry potential fines of up to $1,000,000.00 and a minimum of three years of supervised release.
This case was prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, a multi-agency initiative aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations. The investigation was led by the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorneys Edward Walker and Jordan Crews handling the prosecution. Further information on the OCDETF Program is available at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. More details about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas can be found at https://www.justice.gov/edar.
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Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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