Hot Springs woman sentenced for selling drugs in Fayetteville

A Hot Springs woman was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in federal prison for selling meth from a hotel room in Fayetteville earlier this year, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.

Michelle Leann Friedman, 38, was indicted by a federal grand jury in March on a charge of possession with intent to distribute meth and pleaded guilty to the charge in June. She was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Fayetteville to 168 months, or 14 years, in prison, followed by five years’ supervised release or probation.

According to court records, on or about Jan. 3, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration learned Friedman was purported to be selling meth from a hotel room in Fayetteville. The agents contacted Friedman’s supervising parole officer and learned she had an active warrant for absconding supervision, and had an active search waiver on file.

DEA agents and her parole officer located Friedman in her hotel room and made contact with her. Friedman immediately told officers that everything in the room belonged to her. During a search of the room, officers located a box and a flashlight that contained meth, 627 grams, or 1.38 pounds, and a digital scale.

The case was investigated by the DEA and Arkansas Probation and Parole and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Bridges, the release said.

According to court records, Friedman had no prior criminal history in Garland County other than a ticket for not wearing a seat belt in October 2018. She was previously arrested on Nov. 19, 2019, in Washington County on three counts of possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver, involving meth, mushrooms and heroin, punishable by up to 30 years, 20 years and 10 years, respectively, and possession of a controlled substance, oxycodone, and possession of drug paraphernalia, each punishable by up to six years. The case is still pending in Washington County Circuit Court.