Oklahoma Pair Sentenced to Total of 8 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

            Fort Smith, Arkansas - Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Che Raffael Tidwell and Jill Allison Bradley both of Pocola, Oklahoma, were sentenced today on one count each of Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Methamphetamine.  Tidwell, age 37, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.  Bradley, age 37, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. The Honorable Chief Judge P.K. Holmes, III presided over the sentencing hearings in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.

            According the plea agreements, on or about January 21, 2016, law enforcement agents arranged for a controlled purchase of one ounce of methamphetamine from Tidwell and Bradley. Tidwell was given $1,000 in exchange for what has been determined to be 28.9 grams of a substance containing 95.9% methamphetamine. Tidwell and Bradley were indicted by a federal grand jury in March, 2016 and each pleaded guilty in June, 2016.

            The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas State Police, Fort Smith Police Department, Van Buren Police Department, 12^th Judicial Drug Task Force, and the 21^st Judicial Drug Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney Aaron Jennen prosecuted the case for the United States.

*  *  *    E N D    *  *  *

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov