Benton Attorney Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Conspiracy-Related Charges

    LITTLE ROCK- Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas announced Dustin Dyer, of Benton, pled guilty before United States District Judge James M. Moody to the use of a cell phone to facilitate the commission of an offense of conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver methamphetamine.

    Dustin Dyer was originally indicted in June 2011, in an Indictment returned against 19 individuals involved in a methamphetamine trafficking organization led by Daniel Henry of Cabot, Arkansas. Dyer was charged with one count of using a telephone to facilitate the distribution of methamphetamine by a member of the Henry conspiracy. The case against Dyer was severed from the other defendants in October, 2012 and the other defendants resolved their cases through pleas or trial. On July 11, 2013, a Third Superseding Indictment was returned against Dyer which charged Dyer with being involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, use of a telephone to facilitate the conspiracy, and witness tampering.

    Today, Dyer pled guilty to Count 18 of the Third Superseding Indictment which charged use of a telephone to facilitate the drug conspiracy. In entering his plea, Mr. Dyer admitted that on December 20, 2010, he sent a series of text messages to a client who he knew to be involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. His intent was to assist the client in obtaining methamphetamine for distribution to him and to others. Upon acceptance by Judge Moody of Dyer’s guilty plea, the United States moved to dismiss Count 1-Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and Count 19-Witness tampering.

    Under the plea agreement reached by the parties, Dyer agreed to permanently surrender his law license at the time of sentencing. The United States agreed to recommend a sentence of probation for Dyer. The Court is not bound to the recommended sentence. If the Court does not follow the recommended sentence, Dyer will have the option to withdraw his guilty plea.

    This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration lead High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force consisting of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies Substantial support in the Dyer investigation was provided by the Benton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner is prosecuting this case for the United States.

*Release Used Courtesy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office