A professional angler from North Little Rock accused by federal authorities of being at the head of a major drug conspiracy was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison Monday on the same day that one of his co-defendants was sentenced to five years and another placed on probation for three years.
Fred Douglas Martin, 56, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Initially charged with numerous counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana as well as distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana, Martin pleaded guilty April 25, 2022 to the single conspiracy count, admitting to trafficking between 15 kilograms and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Also sentenced Monday were Edgar Garnell McGraw Jr., 49, of Little Rock, who was sentenced to five years in federal prison for distribution of between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine; and Anthony Antonio Smith, 54, of Hot Springs, who was sentenced to three years' probation on one count of using a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking crime. Three other co-defendants remaining of the original 15 people indicted in the case will be sentenced at a later date.
Martin, who has been held in federal custody since his plea hearing, was escorted into court Monday by federal marshals. The hearing got off to a rocky start as Martin expressed dissatisfaction with his attorney, Chris Baker of Little Rock.
"I just met him a couple of months ago," Martin said of Baker. "I hired Bill James but I've only seen him twice."
After allowing Baker and Martin a few minutes to confer in private, Chief U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. determined that the hearing could continue after Martin assented.
Two of Martin's sisters, Wanda and Ruby Martin, as well as Martin's wife, Sherae, described Martin as a regular church-goer who loved fishing, and had difficulty squaring the man they said they knew with the offense to which he pleaded guilty.
"I'm hearing all these things in court and this is not the little brother I know," said Wanda Martin. "He's not an evil person. Some of these things are just hard to accept."
Asking Marshall to show her brother mercy, she said, "He got caught up with the wrong people and couldn't get out of it."
Sherae Martin said the two had been married for 24 years, during which time she said he watched out for elderly neighbors, mowing their yards without charge and giving away the fish he caught.
"The one thing that drew me to him was his love for God," she said. "Fred would walk in my door and have his Bible in hand, asking if anyone wanted to have a Bible study. ... We didn't go to church, Fred led us to church."
Sherae Martin said in 2011, her husband spent nearly a year in the hospital after being shot and nearly killed, and at one point was on nearly 30 different medications.
Martin told Marshall that in 2011 he was attacked at home and shot twice, resulting in his hospitalization.
"I woke up with tubes all over me," he said. "I was in so much pain. The morphine pump next to my bed was my only relief. At times I would pray to die."
Martin said the resulting addiction to painkillers continued to plague him for years and he began abusing prescription painkillers he would obtain from illicit sources.
"I had withdrawals and depression," he said. "My body was needing those pain killers ... I started using hydros, oxys and percs from wherever I could get it. They made me feel what I thought was normal."
Asking for mercy, Martin told the judge, "I have learned my lesson. I'm not a bad person."
Baker asked Marshall for a downward variance from the guideline sentencing range of 210 to 262 months in prison to 151 months, citing Martin's age.
"A guideline sentence here could effectively be a sentence of death," Baker said. "We don't have here today a violent person or a monster. What we have here is Fred."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benecia Moore, arguing for a guideline sentence, admitted that Martin's status as a professional fisherman and devoted family man was not typical of a large-scale drug dealer.
"But he was also a large-scale drug dealer of multiple drugs," she said. "Methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, pills, you name it and we encountered it."
Moore said Martin had been captured on wiretaps discussing large drug purchases of 100 kilograms or more as well as thousands of pills, many of which were laced with fentanyl.
"That's a lot of drugs in this community," she said.
After a recess, Marshall said the sheer volume of drugs involved juxtaposed with the support from Martin's family and community made sentencing difficult.
"I hear about and I see evidence of a good man," Marshall said. "I don't know of many young people who show up at their date with a Bible in hand."
"I find it a challenge to decide the just and fair sentence," the judge continued. "My decision is 19 years."
At that, Martin's head dropped briefly and an audible gasp could be heard from his family.
"Considering your role as the hub of the wheel here," Marshall said, "I believe a lengthy sentence is needed to justly punish you and to deter others."
In addition to the 19-year sentence, Marshall ordered Martin to serve an additional five years on supervised release after he leaves prison.