Jonathan D. Ross U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas
Houston Gregory, a convicted murderer, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his involvement in an attempted kidnapping. The sentence was announced by Jonathan D. Ross, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and was handed down by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
Gregory, aged 49 and originally from North Little Rock, is currently serving a life sentence in Florida for murder. He was indicted on April 5, 2023, for attempted kidnapping after being found to have solicited the abduction of a retired detective's family member. This detective had played a role in Gregory’s previous conviction for capital murder and other charges.
In late 2022 and early 2023, Gregory used contraband devices to communicate with an undercover law enforcement officer from prison. He sought assistance in kidnapping the detective's family member to coerce the detective into providing false testimony about Gregory's case. The plan included holding the family member hostage for up to 30 days.
Judge Moody also imposed three years of supervised release following Gregory's federal sentence. It should be noted that parole is not available in the federal system.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to this sentencing.
