Meth courier’s deal earns her 6½ years in prison
A Pulaski County woman indicted as part of a methamphetamine trafficking ring in 2017 was sentenced to 6½ years in federal prison on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in quantities that could have exposed her to a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Monica Roy, 38, of Little Rock pleaded guilty in August to the conspiracy charge and was taken into custody at that time to await sentencing. After a seven-month wait, she was sentenced Wednesday by Chief U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr.
In addition to the prison time, Marshall sentenced her to three years supervised release and ordered her to pay a $100 special assessment and gave her credit for time served.
A presentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office recommended a guideline sentence range between 70 and 80 months in prison, two to five years supervised release and a fine ranging between $25,000 and $10 million.
Roy was accused by federal prosecutors of ferrying methamphetamine from Dallas to Central Arkansas in quantities ranging from 5 to 10 kilograms (11 to 22 pounds) per trip. She was named along with 21 co-defendants in an indictment handed up by a federal grand jury on Nov. 2, 2017.
To date, 14 of Roy’s co-defendants have been sentenced to terms ranging from probation to 188 months in prison, with only four other defendants being sentenced to terms less than 10 years. One other co-defendant is scheduled to plead guilty next month, two are up for
sentencing next month, two are scheduled to go to trial in May, and one is a fugitive.
In arguing for a sentence at the low end of the guideline range, Roy’s attorney, Darrell Brown of Little Rock, pointed out that Roy had no criminal history, that her involvement in the conspiracy was minimal and her role was limited to that of a courier.
“Obviously this is a very serious offense,” Brown said. “I think she understands that but this is her first offense.”
Brown said that after completing substance-abuse treatment after her arrest Roy secured employment at a convenience store while she was free on bond and had worked her way up to manager by the time she was taken into custody to await sentencing after her plea hearing. He pointed to letters of support from her supervisors, co-workers, and a customer of the store where she worked praising her dependability, work ethic and attitude as evidence that his client had turned her life around.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Fields conceded that Roy was taking steps to atone for her actions but said the seriousness of the crime called for more than a minimum sentence.
“Ms. Roy acknowledged that she made numerous trips between here and Dallas in order to pick up methamphetamine, that she was aware of what she was doing, and in each trip she would transport 5 to 10 kilograms of methamphetamine back to Arkansas,” Fields said. “This is a substantial amount of methamphetamine that was brought into our jurisdiction and we would request a sentence in the middle of the guideline range.”
Before sentencing, Roy, in a short statement referring to her childhood abuse and years of drug addiction, expressed gratitude that her arrest had placed her in a position to turn her life around.
“I make no excuses for my actions,” Roy said. “Everything I did was with greed and a self-serving attitude. I lived every day to die… I lived with no expectations, no goals and total self-hate… I wouldn’t change my situation because it saved my life when I should be dead. I’m ready to take the consequences and I just ask for your mercy.”
Marshall said that he agreed a sentence in the middle guideline range would be appropriate given the nature of the crime but he commended Roy for accepting responsibility for her actions.
“Sometimes I hear folks who are blaming others for their situation,” he said. “With you, though, I hear someone who truly understands that it’s her own choices that have brought her here.”