Malvern man sentenced to federal prison

A Malvern man was sentenced to federal prison Thursday for drug trafficking in Garland County following a hearing in U.S. District Court in Hot Springs, a news release said.

Larry Speakar, 51, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on one count of possession with intent to distribute meth. He was indicted on the charge by a federal grand jury in June 2017 and pleaded guilty in March.

According to court records, in March 2017, investigators with the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force and Homeland Security initiated an investigation into the drug trafficking activity of Speakar, making three controlled purchases of meth from him in March and April.

On April 26, 2017, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle in Hot Springs for speeding. The driver, later identified as Speakar, was on parole and had a search waiver on file. A search of his vehicle resulted in officers locating two plastic bags containing at least 50 grams of what later field tested positive for meth.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case with Judge Susan O. Hickey presiding.