FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Springdale man described as an “armed career criminal” was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on Thursday for firearms possession.
According to court documents, on Jan. 17, 2021, detectives with the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine and a gun from Ryan Rene Hernandez, 41. Documents say Hernandez is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing any firearms.
Hernandez was convicted on one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He faces three years of supervised release following 180 months in prison.
US. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
The release states this case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
