Jonathan D. Ross U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas
Kelly Bruce Duncan, Jr., a resident of Lamar with prior felony drug convictions, has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and was handed down by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky on February 10, 2026.
Duncan, age 43, was indicted by a federal grand jury on three counts: possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He pleaded guilty to the drug trafficking charge on September 29, 2025. In addition to the prison term, Judge Rudofsky ordered Duncan to serve three years of supervised release following his incarceration. Federal sentencing does not allow for parole.
The case stems from an incident on June 8, 2024, when law enforcement officers attempted to stop Duncan’s vehicle after observing a traffic violation. According to authorities, Duncan fled at high speed—reaching up to 112 miles per hour—and engaged in dangerous driving maneuvers including passing other vehicles recklessly and running a stop sign. During the pursuit that lasted about 21 minutes and covered roughly 35 miles, Duncan’s vehicle struck another car containing a juvenile passenger before becoming disabled on an ATV trail.
After abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot while armed with a revolver, law enforcement confronted Duncan. Officers reported that he stated: “I’ve got a gun.” Despite repeated commands from police to drop the weapon—and his own statements that he did not want to return to jail—Duncan eventually complied and was taken into custody. The firearm recovered was identified as a loaded Taurus .45/.410 revolver.
A search revealed two baggies containing methamphetamine in Duncan’s pocket—one confirmed by laboratory testing at over six grams—and additional paraphernalia inside his vehicle. Law enforcement also found evidence from Duncan’s Facebook account showing communications about acquiring and distributing ounce quantities of methamphetamine. During questioning, Duncan admitted involvement in distributing at least 200 grams of the substance.
Duncan’s criminal history includes felony convictions since 2001 for offenses such as possession of firearms by certain persons, felony fleeing, delivery of methamphetamine (two counts), and possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation with support from the Pope County Sheriff’s Office and Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force.
