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Press Release

Career Offender Sentenced To 20 Years In Federal Prison For Firearms Violation

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE – A Fayetteville man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

According to court documents, in January of 2021, law enforcement officers made contact with Troy Dale Franklin, 39, after he ran a stop sign in a stolen vehicle.  The vehicle was searched, and officers located a distribution amount of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana.  In addition, Franklin was in possession of a loaded pistol, after having been convicted of multiple felony offenses.  Franklin was arrested and released on bond the same day.  In February and March of 2021, detectives with the Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force (DTF) made a series of controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Franklin in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

After the last purchase, Franklin was arrested by detectives and searched.  The search resulted in detectives locating and recovering DTF buy money.  A search of Franklin’s vehicle resulted in detectives locating, approximately 269 grams of methamphetamine, a loaded handgun and drug paraphernalia. Franklin was also in possession of $2,093.00 dollars cash, which was seized by detectives.  Under Federal law, Franklin is considered a Career Criminal, subject to enhanced penalties.

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

The Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force investigated the case.

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

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Updated June 28, 2022

Topic
Project Safe Neighborhoods