Source: Office of United States Attorneys
LITTLE ROCK—Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that eight defendants have been sentenced by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky to federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Each of the defendants previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On August 1, 2023, Jaylen Ester, aka Sumo; Adrian Perry; Miguel Thompson; James Chenault, aka LJ; Saundra Lunsford; Carma Brown; April Reyes; and Briana McElroy were indicted by a federal grand jury in a 13-count indictment. All defendants were indicted on Count 1, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The defendants each pled guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment and Judge Rudofsky sentenced each of them to federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
|
Defendant |
Age |
City/State |
Sentencing Date |
Sentence |
| Adrian Perry |
39 |
England, Arkansas |
6-2-2025 |
180 months, 5 years’ supervised release |
|
|
|
|
|
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| Briana McElroy |
34 |
Dardanelle, Arkansas |
4-15-2025 |
60 months, 4 years’ supervised release |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Miguel Thompson |
42 |
Russellville, Arkansas |
4-15-2025 |
197 months, 5 years’ supervised release |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Jaylen Ester aka Sumo |
31 |
North Little Rock, Arkansas |
1-16-2025 |
192 months, 5 years’ supervised release |
|
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| April Reyes |
41 |
Russellville, Arkansas |
12-16-2024 |
60 months, 4 years’ supervised release |
|
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|
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|
|
| Saundra Lunsford |
30 |
Russellville, Arkansas |
12-10-2024 |
60 months, 4 years’ supervised release |
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| James Chenault aka LJ |
42 |
Russellville, Arkansas |
11-4-2024 |
210 months, 5 years’ supervised release |
|
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|
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|
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| Carma Brown |
38 |
Russellville, Arkansas |
10-22-2024 |
41 months, 4 years’ supervised release |
Multiple defendants had significant criminal histories, and defendants Perry, Thompson, Chenault are classified as career offenders. Perry’s criminal history includes convictions for possession of cocaine with purpose to deliver and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. The criminal history for Ester includes convictions for residential burglary and robbery. During Ester’s sentencing, the United States presented evidence to the court of his arrest for terroristic act, felon in possession of a firearm, and aggravated assault in an incident where Ester shot at an occupied residence with children present.
Thompson’s criminal history includes four convictions for delivery of marijuana, three convictions for possession with intent to deliver marijuana, intimidating a witness, delivery of methamphetamine, three convictions for possession with intent to deliver oxycodone, and terroristic act. Chenault’s criminal history includes three convictions for delivery of marijuana, battery and domestic battery, escape, possession of methamphetamine and cocaine with intent to deliver, and four convictions for delivery of cocaine or methamphetamine, aggravated assault, and possession of firearms by certain persons.
“Because fentanyl is so deadly and because it is being sent to our country by foreign adversaries ostensibly to result in the deaths of many Americans, our office will continue to regard the distribution of fentanyl as a violent crime which commands our office’s full attention,” said Ross. “Protecting our citizens from violent crime is the basic responsibility of law enforcement and so prosecuting those involved with distributing deadly drugs is part of the core mission at the Department of Justice. If you are involved in distributing the poisons of fentanyl and methamphetamine, we will not concern ourselves with trying to empathize with you as to why you made such despicable decisions; rather, we will commit to fully prosecuting you and seeking to keep you away from our communities through incarceration.”
Through an investigation, law enforcement officers learned that from 2020 through approximately December 2022, the defendants were distributing fentanyl for redistribution in the River Valley and central Arkansas areas.
In November 2021, information was received that Ester travelled to and from Little Rock and Russellville trafficking fentanyl from his girlfriend’s apartment. During surveillance of the girlfriend’s apartment, law enforcement officers observed the girlfriend leave in their vehicle. At this time law enforcement officers knocked on the door and Ester opened it and then attempted to shut the door, but law enforcement officers prevented the door from closing. Law enforcement officers observed children and Ester, a parolee who has a search waiver on file and felony warrants, inside the apartment. During a search of the apartment, law enforcement officers located fentanyl, marijuana, and close to $3,000 in cash. Law enforcement also recovered a bag of fentanyl tablets Ester’s girlfriend discarded, which Ester admitted was intended for distribution. Ester admitted obtaining thousands of fentanyl tablets and hundreds of pounds of marijuana for distribution.
On December 22, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop in which Perry, who had warrants, was a passenger. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement officers located a can of Coke in the center console that contained 13 fentanyl pills. During a search of Perry’s person, law enforcement officers located $3,262.00.
In May 2022, law enforcement recovered fentanyl tablets and marijuana during an incident involving Chenault, and during the execution of a search warrant at Chenault and Lunsford’s residence located 142 whole fentanyl pills and ten partial fentanyl pills, over 300 grams of marijuana, and over 5 grams of methamphetamine. In July 2022, law enforcement recovered over 1,000 fentanyl tablets and cocaine from Thompson and McElroy after a traffic stop and search of Thompson’s residence. In August 2022, law enforcement recovered fentanyl tablets, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia from Reyes’s residence. In November 2022, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Brown. On November 22, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a home visit at Thompson’s residence and recovered methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl.
“Sending career criminals like this to prison is another example of our commitment to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities from those who spread fentanyl poison in our neighborhoods,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “Bringing our expertise and resources to target individuals and organizations that plague our communities with drug trafficking is a top priority for ATF. The sentence imposed today sends a message to the community that drug traffickers will be held accountable.”
“The Russellville Police Department is proud to have played a role in the successful prosecution of those responsible for distributing these deadly drugs in our community,” said David Ewing, Chief of Police, Russellville Police Department. “This outcome reflects our ongoing commitment to working alongside our federal partners to combat the fentanyl crisis and protect the safety and well-being of our citizens.”
“I’m so proud of the dedicated people I have working with me in the Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force. Their cooperation with other local law enforcement in Pope County is so important in aggressively addressing criminal activity in our county – primarily drug sales and trafficking,” said Jeff Phillips, Fifth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney. “I also want to thank the federal authorities in partnering with us to make a difference in our community.”
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force, and the Russellville Police Department.
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United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
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