The final 3 defendants convicted in a major Central Arkansas drug-trafficking conspiracy have been sentenced to a combined 29 years in federal prison.
United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky sentenced Kevin Langel, 54, of Pine Bluff, to 14 years; Bruce Smith, 55, of Hesperia, California, to 10 years; and Larry Rogers, 71, of Benton, to 5 years in federal prison.
Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentences.
Federal prosecutors said the conspiracy stretched from California and Texas into Arkansas and involved significant quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl. Langel, Smith and Rogers were the final 3 of 18 defendants indicted in the investigation to be convicted.
Their convictions followed a 6-day federal trial that concluded February 10, 2026.
Langel and Smith will each serve 5 years of supervised release following their prison sentences. Rogers will serve 4 years of supervised release after completing his 60-month sentence.
Prosecutors said Langel transported dozens of kilograms of cocaine from Texas into Arkansas. Evidence presented during the trial showed he participated in several multi-kilogram cocaine transactions involving supplies from Houston and Dallas.
One transaction involved $72,800 that prosecutors said was used to purchase 4 kilograms of cocaine.
During sentencing, Judge Rudofsky said he considered Langel’s criminal history, including convictions for attempted murder and 2nd-degree battery, when determining the 14-year sentence.
Smith was accused of transporting multiple pounds of methamphetamine from California to Arkansas between 2020 and 2022. Investigators said Smith traveled to Arkansas several times to sell and deliver methamphetamine to Roderick Toney of Little Rock.
Rogers was convicted of brokering multiple kilogram-level cocaine transactions between drug distributors in Little Rock.
Trial evidence detailed a July 14, 2022, transaction during which Rogers allegedly collected money from one of Toney’s relatives at a car wash. Rogers then traveled to a business near Geyer Springs Road in Little Rock, where he obtained 1 kilogram of cocaine from Langel before delivering it to Toney.
Authorities said Rogers and Toney participated in multiple cocaine transactions.
Toney, 58, of Little Rock, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced February 25, 2026, to 150 months in federal prison.
The defendants were initially indicted in November 2022. A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment January 6, 2026.
Smith was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Langel faced a cocaine conspiracy charge involving more than 5 kilograms. Rogers’ charge involved more than 500 grams but less than 5 kilograms of cocaine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and North Little Rock Police Department led the investigation with assistance from the Sherwood Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Givens and Amanda Fields prosecuted the case.
The prosecution was also conducted as part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative targeting criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and trafficking operations.
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