First Two Defendants in Operation Delta Blues Sentenced
Lead Defendant Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison

LITTLE ROCK—Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that United States District Judge James M. Moody sentenced Dempsey Word, age 39, of Helena-West Helena to 200 months; and Sedrick Trice, age 28, of Helena-West Helena, to 40 years in prison for their roles in a drug distribution operating out of Helena-West Helena.

“With these first two sentences in Operation Delta Blues, the citizens of Helena-West Helena know that these two drug dealers will be off the streets for a very long time,” stated Thyer. “They can continue to rebuild a safe community for their families without fear of continual drug-related violence. Helena-West Helena will be a city that demonstrates the resilience of the people of Arkansas to take back their city from the hands of criminals.”

Word entered a plea of guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance on January 19, 2012. Trice, the leader in the drug conspiracy, entered a plea of guilty on December 21, 2011 to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Both were originally indicted October 4, 2011 and faced a life sentence. With Dempsey’s plea, that was reduced to a maximum of 40 years.

The charges stemmed from multiple Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations spanning more than a two-year period. The investigations, collectively referred to as Operation Delta Blues, primarily focused on public corruption and drug trafficking activities in the Helena-West Helena and Marianna, Arkansas areas.

The investigation was conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office, FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS-CID, ASP, and LRPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julie Peters, Benecia B. Moore, and Michael Gordon.