A man from Baxter County, Arkansas, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Michael Steven Benedict, aged 45, received the sentence of 240 months followed by five years of supervised release. The charges included distribution of more than fifty grams of actual methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing at the United States District Court in Hot Springs.
Court documents reveal that from January to May 2021, Special Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Hot Springs Police Department's Special Investigations Division conducted multiple controlled purchases from Benedict. On April 21, 2021, agents acquired methamphetamine, four stolen firearms, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition from him. The DEA Southeast Laboratory confirmed that the seized methamphetamine amounted to 361.03 grams.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes announced the sentencing. The investigation was carried out by the DEA and Hot Springs Police Department's Special Investigations Division, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Achorn prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at identifying and dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a collaborative approach involving prosecutors and intelligence agencies.
