2 defendants sentenced in drug-trafficking case

Two people who pleaded guilty last year after being indicted as part of a cocaine and marijuana trafficking organization were sentenced Wednesday in Little Rock before U.S. District Judge James M. Moody Jr. for their roles in the drug conspiracy, with one defendant receiving three years in prison and the other probation.

Christopher Seals of Little Rock and Bridgette Williams of North Little Rock were originally charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana in a 2018 indictment that named them and nine others as part of an organization led by John Steven Garner of Hensley. Seals pleaded guilty last August to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and Williams pleaded guilty to one count of use of a phone in furtherance of drug trafficking.

In sentencing Williams, 45, to 36 months in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Moody cited the pre-sentence report prepared by the Pretrial Services Office, which contained records of a lengthy criminal history resulting in a recommended sentence range of 33 to 41 months in prison.

Williams’ attorney, Margaret Depper of Little Rock, requested a downward variance of 12 to 18 months in prison, noting that her client’s involvement in the drug conspiracy was minimal and that during two years of pretrial release, she had sought treatment for her.

“This case is based on an overarching drug conspiracy,” Depper said. “I think when you get down to Ms. Williams’ conduct, it involved one attempted purchase of cocaine.”

Depper said Williams, whom she described as primarily a marijuana user, was caught on a wiretap ordering cocaine from Garner, who is now serving 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy and firearms charges.

Depper said Williams’ prior offenses were primarily drug offenses that came about as the result of mental health issues for which she had received sporadic treatment. Depper also cited recent trauma, including the 2018 shooting death of Williams’ son and the Jan. 24 death of her daughter in an auto accident.

“This sentence is justified even though you had a minimal role in the conspiracy,” Moody said when he announced Williams’ sentence. “You have enough criminal history points to put you well into Category VI (the top criminal category under federal sentencing guidelines).”

Moody ordered Williams to self-report to wherever she is designated by the Bureau of Prisons by 2 p.m. June 30 in order to allow her to attend the trial of the suspect in her son’s killing.

Seals, 45, whose lack of criminal history placed him in the lowest category, was facing a guideline sentence range between 18 and 24 months in prison. His attorney, James Winnfield Wyatt of Little Rock, argued for a term of probation under the safety valve, a provision in the Sentencing Reform Act and the United States Federal Sentencing Guidelines that authorizes a sentence below the statutory minimum for certain nonviolent drug offenders with little or no criminal history.

Under both statutory and guideline ranges, Moody said, Seals’ offense did not qualify for probation, but Wyatt insisted that it did.

“The safety valve allows the court to sentence any defendant the court finds reasonable without regard to any statute that might be in place,” Wyatt said.

“I don’t read it that way,” Moody said. “I think it says I may sentence without regard to any statutory minimums, so do you have anything other than your reading of the safety valve statute that would say he’s precluded unless he is safety valve eligible?”

“No, your honor,” Wyatt replied. “That’s all I have.”

Seals, in a brief statement, asked for leniency, citing the recent birth of a son.

“This is a new experience for me, so first I want to apologize for my lack of judgment,” Seals said. “I’m hoping it will be possible that the government will see fit to allow me to go home to my newborn son.

“This won’t happen no more,” Seals said. “You see me now; you won’t ever see me again.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacy Williams said the government was seeking a lowend guideline sentence.

But after conferring with a pretrial services officer, who was looking through a thick book of U.S. criminal statutes while Seals was speaking, Moody reversed himself on the imposition of probation.

“We’re going to revise our discussion about whether or not Mr. Seals is eligible for probation,” Moody said after consulting with pretrial services for several minutes at the bench. “It appears that based upon 21 U.S.C. section 841(b) (1)(C), that Mr. Seals may in fact be eligible for probation.”

Moody sentenced Seals to five years’ probation, with the first 18 months to include home detention with virtual monitoring, which Moody said would allow for Seals’ job as a long-distance truck driver. In addition, he ordered Seals to seek outpatient drug and alcohol treatment, imposed a $100 mandatory special assessment and ordered Seals to pay a fine of $1.