West Memphis Man Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Conspiracy

LITTLE ROCK—A West Memphis man was sentenced today to 250 months in federal prison for his involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy. Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced that Karlen Ingram, 38, was sentenced as part of Operation Money Don’t Sleep, which targets drug trafficking in West Memphis and the surrounding areas.

In September 2015, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and West Memphis Police Department began investigating a drug trafficking organization in West Memphis. During this investigation, federal agents learned Ingram was a supplier of cocaine and crack cocaine for numerous individuals. In late 2015 and early 2016, agents made six controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Ingram, all of which occurred at his home.

After several court-authorized wiretaps of Ingram’s cell phones, agents intercepted multiple communications of Ingram conducting narcotics transactions and learned that he later shifted from primarily distributing cocaine to also dealing in methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that Ingram and his co-conspirators used the U.S. Postal Service to ship illegal narcotics, which continued through January 2017.

On July 11, 2017, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Ingram and others with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine. Ingram pleaded guilty on October 2, 2019. Today, United States District Court Judge James M. Moody Jr. sentenced Ingram to more than 20 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“This defendant and his co-conspirators conducted a high-level drug trafficking scheme that endangered our communities in Eastern Arkansas,” stated U.S. Attorney Hiland. “This lengthy sentence is a testament to the dedication of our law enforcement partners, with whom we share a tireless commitment to maintaining law and order in our state.”

Operation Money Don’t Sleep is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation that is being conducted by the DEA and the West Memphis Police Department.