Maurice Morning, a 33-year-old from Little Rock with multiple prior felony drug convictions, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and handed down by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
Morning was indicted on January 7, 2025, by a federal grand jury on charges including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine, as well as two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on October 22, 2025. In addition to the prison term, Morning will serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to investigators, deputies from the Saline County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched on July 10, 2024, to serve a warrant at a residence where they observed Morning placing an object in a blue Ford truck. Because Morning was already on federal supervised release with a search waiver on file, deputies searched him and found methamphetamine and keys to the truck. A further search of the vehicle uncovered more methamphetamine and $3,109 in cash.
On July 29, 2024, officers used a confidential informant (CI) in a controlled purchase operation targeting Morning. The CI arranged to buy fentanyl and methamphetamine; while Morning did not have fentanyl available, he agreed to sell methamphetamine. Surveillance teams saw Morning arrive at a hotel for the transaction. Upon seeing law enforcement officers present, he attempted to flee and destroy evidence but was apprehended. Officers recovered approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine and $3,411 from his person during arrest; an additional scale and $1,700 were found in his truck.
Morning’s status as a career offender resulted from two previous felony convictions involving drug distribution offenses. His criminal record includes an August 2, 2019 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm—an offense that led to a sentence of nearly six years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The current offense occurred less than four months after his release from that sentence. Other past convictions include charges related to cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, oxycodone possession with intent to deliver, and drug paraphernalia.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from local law enforcement agencies including the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, Little Rock Police Department, and Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office.
