Career Offender from Little Rock Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

LITTLE ROCK-Maurice Morning, who has a previous federal conviction and several state felony drug convictions, will spend the next 144 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. 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 Brian S. Miller.

On January 7, 2025, Morning, 33, of Little Rock, was indicted by a federal grand jury in an Indictment charging him with one count for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine and two counts for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On October 22, 2025, Morning pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Miller also sentenced Morning to five years' supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

An investigation revealed that on July 10, 2024, deputies from the Saline County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to serve a warrant at a residence. Upon their arrival, deputies observed Morning place an unknown object in a blue Ford truck. Deputies determined Morning was on federal supervised release with a search waiver on file. Deputies conducted a search of Morning's person and located methamphetamine and keys that belonged to the truck. When deputies conducted a search of the truck, they located methamphetamine on the floorboard between the driver and passenger seat and $3,109 in the glove compartment.

On July 29, 2024, officers enlisted a confidential informant (CI) to conduct a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Morning. The CI contacted Morning to purchase fentanyl and methamphetamine. Morning replied he did not have any fentanyl, but he did have methamphetamine the CI could purchase. Officers conducted surveillance and observed Morning arrive at a hotel to deliver the methamphetamine to the CI. As Morning was walking to the hotel room, he saw the officers and attempted to flee on foot and destroy the methamphetamine. A search of Morning's person revealed $3,411 in his pocket and approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine. During a search of Morning's truck, officers located a scale and $1,700 in a clear purse.

Because Morning has two prior felony convictions involving possession with intent to distribute drugs, he is therefore classified as a career offender and subject to an enhanced sentence. Morning's criminal history includes a federal conviction on August 2, 2019, for being a felon in possession of a firearm where he was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. He committed the current offense less than four months after his release from federal prison. Morning also has felony convictions for possession of cocaine with purpose to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver, and possession of oxycodone with purpose to deliver.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Saline County Sheriff's Office, Little Rock Police Department, and the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office.

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