Two Hot Springs Men Sentenced to Total of 14 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearms Charges

            Hot Springs, Arkansas - Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Nicholas Smith, age 33 of Hot Springs, was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison followed by three (3) years of supervised release on one count of Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute and one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.  Steven Brown, age 35 of Hot Springs, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release on one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearings in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.

            Nicholas Smith: According to court documents, in August, 2015, members of the 18^th Judicial East Drug Task Force arranged and conducted two controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Smith at his residence. On September 10, 2015, officers with the Garland County SWAT team executed a search warrant on Smith’s residence, finding 34 grams of methamphetamine, 11 firearms including a sawed-off shotgun, a large amount of cash, and other drug paraphernalia. After waiving his Miranda rights, Smith admitted to selling on average 2 pounds of methamphetamine per week to over 40 customers in the Hot Springs area, and that many of the firearms recovered from his home were received in trades for drugs. Smith was indicted by the federal grand jury on September 16, 2015, and pleaded guilty on May 13, 2016.

            Steven Brown: According to court documents, on May 6, 2015, officers with the Garland County Sheriff’s Office located Brown riding in the passenger seat of a vehicle in the Hot Springs area. Officers apprehended Brown on outstanding warrants and conducted a search of the vehicle, finding a small amount of methamphetamine, ammunition, and a stolen Springfield 9mm pistol wedged in Brown’s seat. Due to Brown’s prior felony convictions, he was charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 16, 2015, and pleaded guilty on May 13, 2016.

            “Keeping drugs and weapons out of the hands of criminals in our communities remains a priority for HSI”, said Special Agent in Charge of HSI New Orleans Raymond R. Parmer, Jr. “Together with our law enforcement partners we will continue to target these criminal elements and bring them to justice.” Parmer is the Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans field office with responsibility for Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

            These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), 18^th East Judicial Drug Task Force, Alcohol Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Garland County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney David Harris prosecuted the cases for the United States.

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