Nicholas Smith, 33 of Hot Springs, is headed to federal prison for a decade after being sentenced to 120 months for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Susan O. Hickey, Smith will also serve three years of supervised release. The case, rooted in a 2015 drug task force operation, exposed a sprawling local distribution ring fueled by weapons and cash.
Steven Brown, 35, also of Hot Springs, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, followed by two years of supervised release. On May 6, 2015, Garland County Sheriff’s deputies found Brown in the passenger seat of a vehicle with a stolen 9mm pistol wedged under his seat, along with ammunition and a small amount of methamphetamine. Due to his prior felony convictions, Brown was immediately charged under federal gun laws.
Smith’s criminal operation began unraveling in August 2015 when the 18th Judicial East Drug Task Force arranged two controlled buys of meth from him at his residence. That September 10, a SWAT team raided the home, seizing 34 grams of meth, 11 firearms—including a sawed-off shotgun—large sums of cash, and drug paraphernalia. After waiving his Miranda rights, Smith admitted to selling an average of two pounds of meth per week to over 40 customers in the Hot Springs area.
He also confessed that many of the weapons recovered were obtained through drug trades, revealing a dangerous nexus between narcotics and firearms in the local underworld. Smith was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 16, 2015, and pleaded guilty on May 13, 2016. Brown, indicted on the same day, entered his guilty plea the same date.
“Keeping drugs and weapons out of the hands of criminals in our communities remains a priority for HSI,” said Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer, Jr. of HSI New Orleans, whose jurisdiction includes Arkansas. “Together with our law enforcement partners we will continue to target these criminal elements and bring them to justice.”
The investigation was a joint effort by Homeland Security Investigations, the 18th East Judicial Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Garland County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted both cases. Court records are available via the Public Access to Electronic Records system at www.pacer.gov.
Related Federal Cases
- Hot Springs Woman Sentenced to Over 12 Years for Meth Trafficking · Arkansas
- Jerrod Nichols Smith Convicted in $50M Drug Diversion Scheme · Texas
- Hot Springs Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Possessing Firearm as Felon · Arkansas
- Anthony Nichols Convicted of Major Drug and Gun Crimes · Maryland
- Yantis Gun Dealer Pleads Guilty To Federal Violations · Arkansas
Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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