Two Texarkana Men Sentenced To More Than 7 Years In Federal Prison For Drug Trafficking

Texarkana, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Patrick Taylor, age 32, of Texarkana, Arkansas, and Bruce Witherspoon, age 34, of Washington, Arkansas, were sentenced yesterday. Taylor was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release. While Witherspoon was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release, both for one count of Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearings in the United States District Court in Texarkana.

According to court records, investigators in Hempstead County coordinated controlled drug purchases from Taylor and Witherspoon between March and July 2017. Investigators recovered 47 grams of methamphetamine from Taylor, and 10 grams of methamphetamine from Witherspoon.

Both Taylor and Witherspoon were indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2018. Taylor entered a guilty plea in August 2018, and Witherspoon entered a guilty plea in October 2018.

These cases were investigated by the South Central Drug Task Force (SCDTF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Denis Dean prosecuted the case for the United States.