Huntsville man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for drug trafficking

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A Huntsville man was sentenced Thursday to 240 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

According to court documents, since August 2022, detectives with the Benton County Drug Unit and special agents with Homeland Security Investigations had been conducting an on-going narcotics investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine in Northwest Arkansas. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Richard Patrick Horton, age 56. Subsequently, investigators learned that Horton was receiving methamphetamine through the mail. Law enforcement ultimately intercepted a package bound for Horton’s address that contained two large bundles of suspected methamphetamine.

The purchased and seized methamphetamine was later submitted to the Homeland Security Investigations Crime Laboratory for testing where it was tested and determined to be methamphetamine. Between the controlled purchases and the intercepted parcel, Horton was held accountable for over 2 kilograms of methamphetamine.

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

The Benton County Drug Unit and Homeland Security Investigations Fayetteville investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Eaton prosecuted the case.

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