Eighteen-month investigation topples major drug ring based in and around Pulaski County

In a major takedown on Tuesday, federal and state authorities arrested 27 people accused of flooding central Arkansas with dangerous drugs like fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

The arrests happened in Pulaski County as part of a big drug-trafficking investigation that’s been going on for months. Jonathan D. Ross, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Warner Benson, a top official from the DEA’s Little Rock office, announced the news yesterday.

Court papers unsealed in the case show the drug ring was allegedly run by two Little Rock men: Eric Dillard, 44, and Jimmie McDaniels, 49. A total of 29 people were named in the charges, and 27 of them were arrested Tuesday. . Dillard was already locked up from a different federal case filed against him back on September 11, 2024.

The charges came from a federal grand jury on March 4, 2025.

The group faces serious accusations, including working together to sell fentanyl, meth, and cocaine, illegally owning guns, and using weapons to help their drug business. Six of them are also charged with money laundering—hiding their drug money by moving it around in sneaky ways.

“Fentanyl is super deadly, so we have to keep fighting these kinds of crimes,” said Ross. “We’re also staying focused on meth, which is the biggest drug problem in Arkansas, and cocaine, which showed up in this case too.”

This investigation kicked off in September 2023 under a special task force called the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). Most of the people charged are from Little Rock or nearby towns.

The DEA led the effort, catching the group selling fentanyl in secret buys and grabbing 19 guns and about a pound of fentanyl along the way. Investigators say this crew might have sold hundreds of pounds of fentanyl across Arkansas.

Cops also listened in on phone calls where the group talked about moving fentanyl and hiding their profits. During the investigation, they seized over $100,000 in dirty money.

“This morning’s arrests hit a huge criminal network that’s been pumping deadly fentanyl into our neighborhoods,” said DEA official Warner Benson. “We’re working hard with our partners to break these groups apart and keep Central Arkansas safe.”

The OCDETF is a nationwide program that goes after the biggest crime groups using teamwork between prosecutors, police, and federal agents. You can learn more about it at justice.gov/OCDETF.

The people arrested Tuesday will face a judge on Thursday.

The investigation brought together tons of agencies, including the DEA, FBI, U.S. Marshals, local police from North Little Rock, Sherwood, and Cabot, plus the Arkansas State Police and others. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Eldridge is handling the case.