Jonathan D. Ross U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas
A federal jury in Little Rock has convicted Arthur Joyner, 43, of distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a man who ingested the pills. The verdict was reached after four days of testimony and 45 minutes of jury deliberation. Joyner now faces a mandatory life sentence in prison due to his prior felony convictions, including drug and violent offenses.
Joyner was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 5, 2024, for distributing fentanyl resulting in death. The sentencing will be determined by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller at a later date. Joyner will remain in federal custody until then.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that on October 13, 2023, an acquaintance contacted Joyner seeking oxycodone pills for back pain sustained while working. The acquaintance specifically requested genuine oxycodone and warned against counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, even sending articles about fake pills to Joyner. In response, Joyner stated, “they are real” and sent a photo showing blue pills marked with an “M” and “30,” resembling oxycodone.
On October 14, Joyner sold three of these blue pills to the individual from a residence in Little Rock for $30. Testing later confirmed the pills contained fentanyl instead of oxycodone. According to trial testimony, the victim consumed one pill late on October 15 at a hotel in Searcy and another between 8 and 9 a.m. on October 16. He stopped breathing shortly after taking the second pill and was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:23 a.m.
Testimony also showed that Joyner had previously sold cocaine to this victim and others in recent weeks before selling the fentanyl-laced pills.
In addition to life imprisonment without parole—standard for such federal convictions—the charge carries up to $1 million in fines.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Central Arkansas Drug Task Force with support from the Searcy Police Department and White County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Bryant and Chris Givens prosecuted the case.
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