Fort Smith Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

Fort Smith, AR – In a significant blow to drug trafficking in the Western District of Arkansas, William Joseph Alexander, aka “Weenie”, has been sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for his role in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking operation.

According to court records, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) learned that Alexander was obtaining large quantities of methamphetamine from sources outside of the Western District of Arkansas. On July 13, 2014, DEA agents followed Alexander and co-conspirator Rosa Sharon from Oklahoma to Fort Smith, where they were stopped by a Fort Smith Police Department officer. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately seven pounds of methamphetamine.

Alexander, 33, of Fort Smith, was arrested and taken to the Fort Smith Police Department for interviews. After being advised of his Miranda rights, Alexander admitted to possessing the methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to others. He pleaded guilty to the charge of Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute on November 24, 2014.

Alexander’s co-conspirators, Rosa Sharon and Randal Jernigan, also faced charges in connection with the operation. Sharon, 50, of Fort Smith, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine on November 24, 2014, and will be sentenced at a later date. Jernigan, 31, of Fort Smith, pleaded guilty to Distribution of Methamphetamine on September 30, 2014, and was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the DEA and the Fort Smith Police Department, with Assistant United States Attorney Clay Fowlkes prosecuting the case for the United States. U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge praised the cooperation between law enforcement agencies in bringing the case to a successful conclusion.

‘Kids in Fort Smith and across our district deserve to grow up in an environment free from drug trafficking and the crime and violence it brings with it,’ Eldridge said. ‘The sentence announced today reinforces our commitment to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to prosecute and dismantle drug trafficking organizations across the Western District of Arkansas.’

The case serves as a reminder of the devastating impact of methamphetamine trafficking on communities across the country. The sentence of 210 months in prison for Alexander is a significant blow to the operation and a testament to the hard work of law enforcement agencies in the Western District of Arkansas.

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