A Yell County man was sentenced Monday for his role in a methamphetamine conspiracy that involved members of a white supremacist gang. Daniel Adame, 32, of Dardanelle, was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian S. Miller. Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today’s sentencing.
Judge Miller also sentenced Adame, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine on January 30, 2019, to five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
In 2016, local and federal agencies initiated a joint investigation to identify, infiltrate, and dismantle drug trafficking organizations in Russellville. Agents identified multiple individuals who were trafficking methamphetamine in the Pope County area. The investigation revealed that Adame shipped firearms to another suspect in exchange for pound quantities of methamphetamine.
The methamphetamine was shipped to the Russellville area. Adame would then distribute methamphetamine to others in Pope and Yell Counties. Adame supplied methamphetamine to known members and associates of the New Aryan Empire (NAE), a white supremacist organization that began as a prison gang.
"Today’s sentence in Operation ‘To the Dirt’ reflects the significance of this crime," said Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. "Distribution of methamphetamine to anyone, but especially to members of this violent gang that has plagued the River Valley, will result in a lengthy prison term. We will continue to investigate and prosecute methamphetamine distribution in this as well as other corrupt organizations."
Adame was charged on October 3, 2017, in a federal indictment that charged 44 people from the Pope County area with numerous gun and drug violations. The case is named "To The Dirt," a reference to the NAE slogan referring to the rule that members must remain in the NAE until they die.
After Adame pleaded guilty, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment on February 5, 2019, which named 11 additional defendants and added charges for the defendants’ involvement in acts involving attempted murder, kidnapping, maiming, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Adame is the first defendant to be sentenced in Operation "To the Dirt."
The investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as the Pope County Sheriff’s Office and the Russellville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liza Brown.
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