United States Drug Enforcement Administration

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—The primary distributor in a fentanyl conspiracy responsible for the distribution of thousands of pills, including one that resulted in a death, will spend the next 27 years in federal prison. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.

Trent Porter, 38, of Beebe, was sentenced to 324 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after his conviction for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. There is no parole in the federal system. 

A federal grand jury indicted Porter, along with co-defendants Lamont Kirk, 50, and Willie Johnson, 43, both of Little Rock, in the fentanyl conspiracy that resulted in the death of an individual identified in court documents as D.R.  In addition to the conspiracy charge, Porter was charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. For their role in the conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl that resulted in death, on October 29, 2025, Kirk was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison and on November 7, 2025, Johnson received a sentence of more than 14 years.

All three defendants pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge in separate hearings on June 25, 2025, following an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Little Rock Police Department (LRPD). On August 20, 2023, LRPD officers responded to a distress call at a residence in Little Rock. Officers found D.R. deceased from what a state medical examiner concluded was a lethal dose of fentanyl. It is believed that D.R. died after ingesting a single fentanyl pill. The investigation revealed that D.R. obtained the fentanyl that caused the death from Kirk, at Kirk’s residence, the day that D.R. died. 

On August 23, 2023, DEA and LRPD officers searched Kirk’s residence, locating a firearm and a small amount of narcotics. Through continued investigation, officers discovered that Kirk obtained the pills he sold to D.R. from Johnson two days prior. Then, officers surveilling Johnson conducted a traffic stop on Johnson’s vehicle. Officers located 99 pills in Johnson’s pocket that were confirmed to contain fentanyl. As the investigation continued that same day, officers learned that Johnson obtained the fentanyl pills he was selling to Kirk from Porter. 

After locating and conducting surveillance on Porter, officers made contact with Porter in his vehicle. Porter had 308 fentanyl pills in a bottle in his pocket. Officers then brought Porter back to his residence, where they located an additional 1,617 fentanyl pills throughout the house. 

Porter was on active parole and had several prior felony convictions, including for multiple counts of possession with intent to deliver controlled substances, maintaining a drug premises, aggravated assault, possession of firearms by certain persons, breaking and entering, fleeing, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Because Porter has at least two prior convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense, he is classified as a career offender. 

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Little Rock Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Givens.