Sentences Imposed for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine

EL DORADO, AR—Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced today that Stacy Harris, age 42, of Crossett, Arkansas, was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment with no parole and five years’ supervised release on July 7, 2011; Robert E. King, age 51, of Crossett, Arkansas, was sentenced to 202 months’ imprisonment with no parole and five years’ supervised release on July 8, 2011; and William C. Mitchell, age 35, of El Dorado, Arkansas, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment with no parole and five years’ supervised release on July 8, 2011. Harris, King and Mitchell were all sentenced for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of a mixture or substance containing crack cocaine. Judge Harry F. Barnes imposed the sentence in U.S. District Court in El Dorado, Arkansas.

United States Attorney Conner Eldridge stated “The defendants in this case conspired to distribute a large amount of cocaine. They have been held accountable for those actions, and have all been sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Those that traffic in drugs wreak havoc on our communities. We are committed to prosecuting such individuals and criminal organizations—in South Arkansas and throughout the Western District. Thank you to the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and officers that cooperated on this case and work tirelessly on so many others.”

After receiving information that ounce quantities of crack cocaine were being distributed in the Western District of Arkansas beginning in the spring of 2009, investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Arkansas State Police and Ashley County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation. As part of their investigation, law enforcement agents were able to purchase more than 50 grams of crack cocaine from Harris, King and Mitchell.

On September 9, 2010, Harris entered a plea of guilty to count one of the indictment charging him with knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate and agree with each other and others known and unknown to the grand jury, to distribute a controlled substance, namely a mixture or substance containing cocaine base, commonly known as “crack cocaine,” a Schedule II controlled substance, and over the course of and as part of the conspiracy 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base was distributed, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A)(iii), all in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 846.

On November 2, 2010, King entered a plea of guilty to count one of the indictment charging him with knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate and agree with each other and others known and unknown to the grand jury, to distribute a controlled substance, namely a mixture or substance containing cocaine base, commonly known as “crack cocaine,” a Schedule II controlled substance, and over the course of and as part of the conspiracy 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base was distributed, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A)(iii), all in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 846.

On November 2, 2010, Mitchell entered a plea of guilty to count one of the indictment charging him with knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate and agree with each other and others known and unknown to the grand jury, to distribute a controlled substance, namely a mixture or substance containing cocaine base, commonly known as “crack cocaine,” a Schedule II controlled substance, and over the course of and as part of the conspiracy 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base was distributed, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A)(iii), all in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 846.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Arkansas State Police, Crossett Police Department and Ashley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Quinn prosecuted the case for the United States.