U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross | U.S. Department of Justice
Terry Wayne Franklin and Mary Danielle Sheppard have been sentenced to a combined 45 years in prison for distributing fentanyl, which led to a fatal overdose. The sentences were announced by Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and were issued by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
Franklin, aged 39 from Conway, received a 25-year sentence followed by three years of supervised release. His wife, Sheppard, aged 36 also from Conway, was sentenced to 20 years with an additional three years of supervised release. In the federal system, there is no option for parole.
“This couple made the decision to sell pills containing a deadly, illegal drug, unfortunately resulting in yet another loss of life from the use of fentanyl,” stated Jonathan D. Ross. “Let this sentence serve as a warning to those who sell fentanyl in any form, that you will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and the penalty is severe.”
The couple faced charges on July 5, 2023, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Sheppard pleaded guilty on March 21, 2024, while Franklin entered his guilty plea on April 1, 2024.
An investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) revealed that on May 15, 2022, Greenbrier Police Department responded to an overdose at a residence where the victim later died at a hospital in Conway. Officers found several blue pills marked “M30” at the scene. Further investigation uncovered text messages between Franklin and the victim about purchasing fentanyl pills. Franklin instructed payment through Sheppard’s CashApp account and arranged for her to provide the pills.
Surveillance footage confirmed a meeting between Sheppard and the victim on the night they obtained the pills before dying.
On September 16, 2022, police stopped Franklin and Sheppard near Nacogdoches, Texas while traveling north toward Arkansas from south Texas. Officers discovered numerous fentanyl-containing pills during this stop.
The DEA conducted this investigation with support from Greenbrier Police Department, Conway Police Department, and Nacogdoches Police Department in Texas. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Gordon and Reese Lancaster prosecuted this case.
