Little Rock man sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for fentanyl trafficking

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Joseph Riggins Jr. of Little Rock was sentenced to 25 years in a federal prison for selling fentanyl resulting in the death of a person. He pleaded guilty on November 29, 2023.

According to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, U.S. District Judge James M. Moody Jr. announced the verdict on Wednesday.

The maximum sentence he faces is a minimum of 20 years to life in prison and a fine of $1,000,000. Parole is not available under the federal system.

The 33-year-old was charged on April 5, 2023, with knowingly and intentionally distributing a mixture and substance containing fentanyl that resulted in death.

On November 9 of the same year, he pleaded guilty.

An investigation revealed that Riggins was involved in a series of text messages on July 31, 2022. In the messages, Riggins offered heroin in exchange for sex.

The two met on August 1, 2022, at a motel in North Little Rock, the location where Riggins supplied DM with a controlled substance containing fentanyl.

DM later consumed the purchased substance in the motel room. Motel staff found DM dead in her motel room the following day, August 2nd.

After the victim's body was taken to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory for forensic analysis, an autopsy was performed.

Autopsy results showed that DM's death was caused by mixed drug toxicity from cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine.

According to a forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy, the examination found that the level of fentanyl in DM's body was significantly higher than the normally lethal concentration of fentanyl.

The investigation was conducted by the North Little Rock Police Department (NLRPD), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gordon was in charge of prosecuting this case.