State Parole/Probation Officer Arrested in Operation Delta Blues

LITTLE ROCK—Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, along with Randall C. Coleman, Special Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced the arrest today of Arkansas Department of Community Corrections Parole/Probation Officer Roxanne Davis, age 38, of Wynne. Davis was arrested on a federal complaint for extortion of cash payments from drug traffickers under her supervision.

The complaint alleges that Davis, who was assigned a supervision area including Marianna, accepted cash payments from parolee Torrence Turner, aka Hot Shot, and probationer Anthony Hall, aka Lil’ Ant, and, in return, did not enforce parole/probation conditions and alerted Turner to law enforcement interest in his drug trafficking activities. Turner was on parole from a 1995 first-degree murder conviction. Hall was on probation from two drug trafficking convictions. Earlier today, Turner and Hall pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance before the Hon. James M. Moody in Case No. 4:11CR211 JMM. In his plea agreement, which is conditional to the judge accepting the plea after reviewing a presentence report, Turner takes responsibility for between 50-150 kilograms of cocaine and between 2.8 kilograms and 8.4 kilograms of crack cocaine. If the judge accepts Turner’s plea agreement, Turner will be sentenced to 30 years’ incarceration. In Hall’s plea agreement, Hall takes responsibility for between 500 grams and 2 kilograms of cocaine. There is no agreed sentence for Hall; however, the drug quantity calls for a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ incarceration.

As detailed in the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, in May and June 2011, Davis was intercepted talking to Torrence Turner over one of the Delta Blues wiretaps. During these calls, Davis solicited money, goods, and a car from Turner.

The potential penalties for a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951 are up to 20 years’ incarceration, up to three years’ supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.

The investigation was conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI, with the assistance of the Arkansas Department of Community Correction-Internal Affairs Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Peters.

A complaint and an indictment contain only allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.