Hot Springs Man Sentenced to Over 12 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

DOJ Press

HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs man was sentenced yesterday to 151 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs.

According to court documents, in July of 2020, detectives with the 18th East Judicial Drug Task Force received information that Richard Allen Stapleton (aka Ricky), age 46, was trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine in Garland County.  Later that month, detectives were able to conduct multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Stapleton.

The methamphetamine was tested by the Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory and confirmed to be pure methamphetamine.

U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.


The 18th East Judicial District Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations Little Rock, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the 18th East Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office investigated the case investigated the case.


Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case.

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