A Fordyce man with a prior drug conviction has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison following a narcotics investigation that uncovered large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine.
Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced that Eric Matlock, 42, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by James M. Moody Jr. after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Matlock was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 9, 2024, on two counts related to drug distribution. He entered guilty pleas on Aug. 8, 2025. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Moody imposed five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, the investigation began in February 2024 when the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division opened a probe into increased narcotics activity in Fordyce. Investigators identified Matlock as a potential dealer and used confidential sources, surveillance technology and controlled purchases to build the case. Deputies also employed aerial surveillance to monitor Matlock’s movements during the investigation.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Matlock’s residence on June 30, 2024. During the search, officers discovered a buried footlocker near the carport containing multiple plastic bags with large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine, along with $3,841 in cash and digital scales. The seized drugs were later confirmed to be approximately 1.6 pounds of methamphetamine and 1.2 pounds of cocaine.
Matlock’s criminal history includes a prior state conviction for conspiracy to deliver cocaine, as well as convictions for possession of crack cocaine, possession of firearms by certain persons, possession of paraphernalia to manufacture methamphetamine or cocaine, and maintaining a drug premises.
Officials said the case was prosecuted as part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, a federal effort aimed at dismantling organized criminal networks and drug trafficking operations. Locally, the task force includes agents from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with prosecution handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
The investigation was led by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reese Lancaster.
