A Bentonville man has been sentenced to over 8 years in federal prison for firearms and drug possession. Rafael Melendrez, 37, was sentenced to 100 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
The sentencing hearing took place on April 6, 2022, in the United States District Court in Fayetteville. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
According to court documents, the Bentonville Narcotics Unit began investigating Melendrez in March 2021 for drug trafficking. An anonymous tip indicated that Melendrez was staying at a residence in Bentonville and selling drugs. The investigation revealed that Melendrez was a probation absconder with an active warrant out for his arrest.
On April 9, 2021, detectives observed Melendrez leave the residence in a vehicle. He was subsequently traffic stopped by a uniformed officer and arrested based on the outstanding warrant for absconding.
After the arrest, a search of Melendrez’ residence was conducted by detectives and Arkansas Community Corrections Officers. The search resulted in detectives locating multiple vacuum sealed packages, Ziplock baggies, and glass containers filled with marijuana (later totaling approximately 8.14 pounds), a money counting machine, two food processing machines used to vacuum seal the marijuana, two digital scales, and 13 firearms. Detectives also located a safe that contained $48,150.00 in United States currency.
The Bentonville Narcotics Unit and Homeland Security Investigations Fayetteville investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing. Rafael Melendrez will serve 100 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. The search of Melendrez’ residence resulted in the seizure of approximately 8.14 pounds of marijuana, 13 firearms, and $48,150.00 in cash.
Related Federal Cases
- Robert Arthur Blackstead Jr., 18 Years for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Possession, Arkansas 2023 · Virginia
- Bobby Nutt, Cocaine Distribution and Firearms Possession, Arkansas 2019 · Kansas
- Steven Mark Zuber, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Arkansas 2021 · Kansas
- Sherman and Smith, Conspiracy to Cause Witness Tampering, Arkansas 2021 · Kansas
- Jeffery Rivers, Jr., Methamphetamine Trafficking, Mississippi 2021 · Alabama
Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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