Magnolia Woman Sentenced To Over 9 Years In Federal Prison For Drug Trafficking

El Dorado, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Ashley Martin (a/k/a “Hey Bae Bae”), 34, of Magnolia, Arkansas, was sentenced November 6, 2020, to 110 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing, in the United States District Court’s El Dorado Division.

According to court records, on June 3, 2019, while conducting operations in the Columbia County area, investigators with the FBI and 13^th Judicial District Drug Task Force saw Martin and co-defendant, Jarred “Chase” McDaniel, 34, also of Magnolia, Arkansas, in a vehicle traveling east on Highway 82.  Knowing that Martin had an outstanding felony arrest warrant and that McDaniel (who was driving) did not have a valid driver’s license, investigators contacted Arkansas State Police. After an Arkansas State Trooper stopped the vehicle and placed Martin and McDaniel under arrest, the Trooper conducted a vehicle search.  During the search, the Trooper located a red Nike shoebox that contained two zip-lock bags of suspected methamphetamine.

The DEA crime laboratory has since determined that the zip-lock bags contained approximately three and a half pounds of a substance containing methamphetamine.

Martin and McDaniel were indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2019.  Martin pleaded guilty in February 2020.  McDaniel has also pleaded guilty, and is currently awaiting sentencing.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, 13th Judicial District Drug Task Force, Magnolia Police Department and Columbia County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the Western District of Arkansas.