Career Offender Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

FAYETTEVILLE – A Kansas, Oklahoma man was sentenced today to 168 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

According to court documents, on July 31, 2022, detectives with the Benton County Drug Unit were investigating Christopher Dale Lewellen, age 42, for drug trafficking and determined he was wanted on multiple outstanding warrants for state charges. Records showed he had an active search waiver as a condition of parole.

After learning that Lewellen was traveling in a vehicle on Highway 412, detectives were able to locate and stop that vehicle and place Lewellen under arrest.  A search of the vehicle resulted in detectives locating a black bag containing approximately 450 grams of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The suspected methamphetamine was later submitted to the Homeland Security Investigations Crime Laboratory for additional testing where it was tested and determined to be methamphetamine. Under Federal law, Lewellen is considered a Career Criminal, subject to enhanced penalties.

U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

The Benton County Drug Unit and Homeland Security Investigations Fayetteville investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sydney Butler 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 Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.