Hempstead County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Meth Distribution

A Hempstead County man has been sentenced to federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine.

33-year-old Johnny Eduardo Navarrete was sentenced to 10-years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Susan Hickey in Texarkana after Navarrete pleaded guilty last June.

According to court documents, Navarrete was caught on video conducting transactions for the sale of as much as a half-pound of meth in the second half of 2022 in a joint operation that included the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. The transactions took place at his residence on Pritchard Street in Hope.

Navarrete was arrested on state charges including six counts of endangering the welfare of minors in March of 2023. According to affidavits, Navarrete was found liable for introducing methamphetamine into the bodies of young children. In the state case, he was also charged with domestic battery for the physical abuse of a child under the age of 4.

Navarrete pleaded guilty to all eight charges in Hempstead County Circuit Court in November of 2023 and received a total of 20 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

Navarrete is expected to serve his time in state prison after his federal prison sentence has been served.