Source: Office of United States Attorneys
LITTLE ROCK—A Searcy man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison today. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
Thomas Ray Kelso, 74, of Searcy, Arkansas, was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 1, 2023. Prior to that, an investigation by the Central Arkansas Drug Task Force revealed that Kelso frequently distributed methamphetamine at an apartment complex in Searcy. Kelso, who owned the apartment complex, exploited female residents in the complex and forced them into performing sex acts in order to keep the power on in their apartment, satisfy their rent obligations, or obtain illegal narcotics.
The investigation also revealed that when one woman refused Kelso’s sexual advances, he pulled her electricity meter to cut her power. Kelso also employed one woman to recruit other women for him so he could exploit them to engage in performing sexual acts on him.
After a two-day trial that concluded on August 14, 2024, a federal grand jury found Kelso, guilty on all four counts for which he was indicted: three counts of sex trafficking and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Judge Moody also sentenced Kelso to five years’ supervised release, a $50,000 fine, and $50,000 in restitution for a total of $100,000. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the Searcy Police Department and Central Arkansas Drug Task Force, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Bryant and Shelby Shelton.
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