FS duo sentenced for selling meth

Two Fort Smith residents received prison sentences Thursday after pleading guilty to drug-trafficking charges.

Judge P.K. Holmes III, for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, sentenced Carlos Murcia-Saldana, 36, of El Salvador and a resident of Fort Smith, and Estella Chavez, 47, of Fort Smith, to prison for the distribution of methamphetamine, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge.

Murcia-Saldana was sentenced to nine years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to a news release. Chavez received a sentence of eight years and one month in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

An investigation of Murcia-Saldana and Chavez began in January. A confidentialinformant with the Fort Smith Police Department made two purchases of 2 ounces of methamphetamine from Murcia-Saldana and Chavez on Jan. 31 and Feb. 14, according to the news release. The purchases, which were monitored by law enforcement, led to a search warrant and the discovery of 3 ounces of methamphetamine, $2,570 in cash and digital scales at the residence of Murcia-Saldana and Chavez, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

The individuals admitted to selling methamphetamine on a weekly basis and pleaded guilty on June 6 to conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

The case involved the Fort Smith Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wulff.

  • Brenda Bernet

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 11 on 09/27/2013

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