A federal jury has convicted a mother and daughter from Hensley, Arkansas, of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. The trial concluded Wednesday with guilty verdicts for April Adams, 62, and Amber Church, 38. Adams was also found guilty of distributing methamphetamine, while Church was convicted of distributing fentanyl.
According to court records, the indictment against Adams and Church was returned by a federal grand jury on April 2, 2024. Both women were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. In addition, Church faced a charge for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, and Adams faced a charge for distribution of methamphetamine.
The verdict was delivered to United States District Court Judge James M. Moody, Jr., who will determine sentencing at a later date. Both defendants remain in federal custody pending sentencing. Each faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on the fentanyl charges related to the fatality. Adams could receive up to an additional 20 years for the methamphetamine charge.
Testimony during the three-day trial described events that took place on April 16, 2023. Law enforcement officers from the Saline County Sheriff’s Office responded to multiple overdoses at a residence on Crab Apple Circle. Upon arrival, they found four individuals who had overdosed; three survived after receiving Narcan treatment from medical personnel but one person died at the scene.
Two survivors testified that after arriving at the home, Adams offered them methamphetamine along with Church and the eventual victim. After using methamphetamine, Church asked her mother if she could give the group what she referred to as “cocaine” from Adams’ room. Church retrieved the substance—later determined to be fentanyl—and shared it with others before using some herself.
All four individuals who ingested the fentanyl lost consciousness soon after use—including Church herself. According to evidence presented at trial, Adams did not use the drug that caused the overdoses and waited about 45 minutes before notifying anyone about what happened; she called a friend instead of emergency services.
Convictions for these offenses may result in fines up to $1 million and supervised release for at least three years.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation focused on disrupting major criminal organizations through collaboration among agencies and prosecutors. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The Saline County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Edward Walker and Jordan Crews prosecuted the case.
