EL DORADO – A California man was sentenced today to 170 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release on one count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and one count of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in El Dorado.
On August 2, 2019, a deputy with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office began following a vehicle after it committed a traffic violation, which resulted in continued pursuit after the driver refused to pull over. The deputy continued pursuit of the vehicle as multiple other deputies and officers were called to assist. A male passenger jumped out of the vehicle while the driver continued fleeing. The vehicle rammed a Magnolia Police unit as it continued driving recklessly. The vehicle was eventually stopped after the two rear tires were shot out by law enforcement. The driver then bailed out of the vehicle and fled into the woods.
A search of the vehicle resulted in law enforcement locating and seizing five firearms, a jar of marijuana, baggies, and a bag of suspected methamphetamine. The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the Arkansas Crime Laboratory where it was determined to be 255.4 grams of methamphetamine.
During the investigation it was determined that the driver was Damien Andrew Wolfson, 28, and that he had an active warrant out of California. Later in the investigation law enforcement received information that Wolfson was on his way to Texarkana in an SUV. The SUV was located, and a traffic stop resulted in law enforcement finding and arresting Wolfson while hiding in the rear cargo area of the SUV.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Department, the Magnolia Police Department and the ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sydney Butler prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.