Jonathan D. Ross U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas
A federal jury in Little Rock has found Montrell Austin guilty of multiple drug and firearm offenses. The verdict was delivered after a two-day trial, during which the jury deliberated for just over an hour. Austin, 41, was convicted of possessing with intent to distribute approximately a quarter pound of fentanyl and illegal possession of five firearms.
The charges against Austin stemmed from a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on November 6, 2024. Chief United States District Court Judge Kristine G. Baker received the jury's verdict and will sentence Austin at a later date. Following the trial's conclusion, Austin was taken into federal custody.
Austin faces significant penalties due to his conviction. For possession with intent to deliver between 40 grams and 400 grams of fentanyl, he could be sentenced to not less than five years but not more than 40 years in prison. Because this offense occurred after a previous serious drug conviction, he is subject to an enhanced penalty ranging from ten years to life imprisonment. Additionally, he faces up to ten years for being a felon in possession of a firearm and at least five years for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, which must be served consecutively.
The investigation began in October 2021 when Little Rock Police Department narcotics detectives received information about narcotics sales at a shop on Geyer Springs Road in Southwest Little Rock. Detectives identified Austin as potentially running the location. A search warrant executed on November 9, 2021, uncovered six guns—three AR-style pistols—nearly a quarter pound of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and over $10,000 in cash. Austin was present during the search and claimed ownership of all items found.
A co-defendant in the case, Tarik Slater, previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of one firearm and was sentenced by Chief Judge Baker to 30 months in federal prison on January 11, 2025.
The penalties for these offenses include fines up to $5 million for drug charges and up to $250,000 for firearm offenses along with supervised release terms.
The investigation involved collaboration between the Little Rock Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Eldridge and Julie Peters prosecuted the case.
