Matthew Woodrome, 36, of Bentonville, Arkansas, is headed to federal prison for seven years after being convicted of possession of heroin with intent to distribute. The sentence, handed down yesterday by U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks, marks the end of a four-year criminal case rooted in a targeted police operation in 2018.
Court records show that in July 2018, Rogers Police Department detectives received a credible tip that Woodrome was holding heroin and could be found at a hotel in Bentonville. Officers launched immediate surveillance, aware that Woodrome was on probation and had a valid search waiver on file—eliminating the need for a warrant.
Surveillance quickly turned to action. Officers watched as Woodrome arrived at the hotel and exited his vehicle. They made contact, conducted a search of his person, and recovered four baggies containing a total of 5.38 grams of heroin. The seized drugs were sent to the DEA laboratory, where forensic analysis confirmed the substance as pure heroin.
Indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2018, Woodrome pleaded guilty to one count of Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute just two months later. His admission spared the case from trial but locked in the mandatory minimums tied to federal drug trafficking penalties.
The investigation was a joint effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force, and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. The collaboration underscores the multi-agency approach increasingly used to target mid-level drug distributors in Northwest Arkansas.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Harris and Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. Woodrome will serve 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Federal authorities say the sentence sends a clear message: drug trafficking in any quantity will be met with full enforcement of the law.
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Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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