Arkansas officials target repeat fentanyl traffickers as counterfeit pill threat grows

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — A Russellville man’s federal prison sentence is highlighting Arkansas’ broader fight against repeat fentanyl traffickers as state and federal officials work to prevent counterfeit pills from causing more overdoses.

52-year-old Douglas Scott Reeves was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. Reeves will also serve eight years of supervised release.

Federal investigators said Reeves manufactured and sold fentanyl pills from his Russellville home between 2021 and 2023.

During a search of the home, officers found fentanyl, mushrooms and drug paraphernalia.

Court records show Reeves also had a prior federal drug conviction tied to methamphetamine manufacturing in 2013, raising concerns about repeat offenders continuing to traffic dangerous drugs in Arkansas communities.

In response to questions about how Arkansas is working to stop repeat fentanyl traffickers before counterfeit pills lead to more overdose deaths, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said the state is focusing on education, addiction recovery and coordinated law enforcement efforts.

“Arkansas is addressing the problem of illicit opioids on multiple fronts,” Griffin said in a statement.

“Through our One Pill Can Kill initiative, my office is educating college students about the dangers of fentanyl and taking counterfeit pills.”

Griffin said his office has also used opioid settlement funds to support organizations addressing addiction and recovery while working with federal, state and local agencies to target fentanyl trafficking operations.

Federal authorities said fentanyl remains Arkansas’ top drug threat, particularly as counterfeit pill production becomes more widespread and localized.

DEA New Orleans Division Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer said fentanyl continues to attract traffickers because of the low production cost and high profits.

“It’s so inexpensive to make the fentanyl that the profit margins are just huge,” Hofer said.

The DEA said traffickers are increasingly manufacturing counterfeit pills within Arkansas communities rather than transporting them from elsewhere.

In April, a DEA enforcement effort in Arkansas resulted in nearly 100 arrests and the seizure of more than 1,500 fentanyl pills, according to the agency.

But addiction and recovery leaders said arrests alone will not stop the crisis.

Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership Director Kirk Lane said long-term progress depends on treating addiction as a community issue instead of relying only on criminal enforcement.

“For a long time, addiction issues always became a criminal justice matter, and it never became a community matter,” Lane said.

Lane said opioid settlement funding is helping expand prevention, treatment and recovery programs across the state. He also said Narcan overdose reversal data helps officials identify areas seeing increases in fentanyl activity.

Despite a recent decline in overdose deaths nationwide, the DEA said fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing communities across the country.

Officials warn that as little as two milligrams of fentanyl, roughly the amount that can fit on the tip of a sharpened pencil, can be fatal.