Hope Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

HOT SPRINGS – A Hope, Arkansas man was sentenced yesterday to 210 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release on one count of Possession of More Than Five (5) Grams of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs.

According to court documents, Kaiven Wesley, age 42, was identified by law enforcement to be part of a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) distributing methamphetamine in the Malvern, Arkansas, geographical area.  The Drug Trafficking Organization was led by Jedadire Leshawn Nellums, age 46, who was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison in May of 2023.

On August 17, 2020, searches were conducted at multiple properties associated with the Nellums’ DTO, resulting in investigators locating and seizing over 1,400 grams of pure methamphetamine.   Additionally, Wesley was arrested on that same date and found to be in possession of an additional 49.04 grams of pure methamphetamine.

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

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Achorn prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.