Drug-case defendant to exit jail, enter rehab

A defendant indicted earlier this month in a White County drug investigation was allowed out of jail to go into inpatient drug rehabilitation, and two others were arraigned Thursday on related indictments.

Michael Matthews, 39, of Bald Knob was arrested along with 17 other people in a major drug raid stemming from a federal drug probe, “Operation Central Sweep,” that resulted in indictments of 33 people on charges ranging from narcotics trafficking to gun possession.

Matthews, who is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, was allowed to leave jail to go into drug rehab by U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe Volpe after Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Fields confirmed that the U.S. attorney’s office had no objection to the plan.

“It’s my understanding that the defendant is going

to go into inpatient rehab followed by chem-free living while his case is pending,” Fields said.

Volpe ordered Matthews to report to the Northeast Arkansas Regional Recovery Center, commonly referred to as Crowley’s Ridge, for inpatient substance abuse treatment to be followed by residence in the center’s Chemical Free Living Center while his case is adjudicated.

Also on Friday, Keith Williams, 47, of Augusta and Rodney Bishop, 46, of Judsonia were arraigned on related charges and both were ordered detained because of state charges on which each is also being held.

Williams was arraigned on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Bishop was arraigned on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.