Jonathan D. Ross U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas
Tommy Avance, a multi-convicted felon from Little Rock, was sentenced on Apr. 27 to 240 months in federal prison after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced that United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky handed down the sentence.
Avance's sentencing is part of ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address drug trafficking and related crimes in the region. The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas prosecutes federal crimes and manages civil litigation for the United States, according to the official website.
According to court records, Avance was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 2, 2024, on four counts including possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as firearm offenses connected to drug trafficking. He pleaded guilty on October 28, 2025, specifically admitting guilt for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Rudofsky also imposed five years of supervised release following his prison term; there is no parole in the federal system.
The case began when Conway Police Department investigators observed suspicious activity at a known drug distributor’s residence on March 26, 2024. Officers stopped Avance’s vehicle shortly after it left the residence and detected marijuana odor during their interaction with him. After fleeing officers in a high-speed pursuit that ended with spike strips disabling his vehicle, Avance was found carrying two bags of cocaine and one bag of methamphetamine.
A subsequent search at Avance’s Conway residence revealed more than one kilogram (1,451 grams) of methamphetamine and two firearms—one previously reported stolen—after he admitted during an interview that he had purchased significant quantities of drugs. His criminal history includes previous convictions related to drugs and firearms.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas operates its primary office at 425 West Capitol Avenue in Little Rock and covers prosecutions across three divisions comprising forty-one counties in eastern Arkansas according to its official website: Northern, Central and Delta divisions.according to the official website. The office partners with law enforcement agencies such as local police departments as part of broader efforts aimed at community protection and victim support.according to the official website.
