Jury Convicts Tennessee Man of Trafficking Drugs and Illegally Possessing a Firearm in West Memphis

LITTLE ROCK-A federal jury has convicted Elbert Nichols of drug trafficking, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and assault on a federal law enforcement officer. The trial, which spanned four days, ended on Thursday, October 29, 2026, with guilty verdicts on all counts for Nichols, 52, of Cordova, Tennessee. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the verdict.

Nichols was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 4, 2026, and went to trial facing six charges, including one count of distribution of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of assault on a federal officer.

The evidence at trial proved that on April 12, 2024, officers of the West Memphis Police Department's Narcotics Unit conducted a controlled purchase of fentanyl pills from Nichols using a confidential informant (CI). During the buy, the CI purchased 20 pills from Nichols, who arrived at the transaction in an orange Jeep Renegade that was registered to him. The evidence at trial further proved that the pills purchased on April 12 were confirmed to contain fentanyl.

On May 9, 2024, officers arranged for the CI to make another controlled purchase from Nichols at the same location as the previous transaction. Again, Nichols arrived in the orange Jeep Renegade; but instead of Nichols approaching the CI for the pills, he was confronted by officers who had pulled in behind him to execute a felony arrest. Upon seeing the officers, Nichols threw his car into reverse which caused the officers to move out of the way so they would not be struck by Nichols, who did strike the officers' vehicle, causing damage. Nichols then fled the area driving through a chain link fence and at a high rate of speed through a school zone at the end of a school day.

Officers continued to pursue Nichols and were able to disable his vehicle quickly after the pursuit began. Nichols, the only occupant of the vehicle, stopped and fled the vehicle, running towards an apartment complex. Before Nichols could escape, officers deployed a taser striking Nichols and ending the pursuit. During a search of Nichols' vehicle, officers located approximately 50 fentanyl pills and over 80 grams of methamphetamine that were divided between seven baggies. The Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory confirmed the pills contained fentanyl and the substance in the seven baggies contained methamphetamine. Officers also located during the search a loaded Smith & Wesson firearm in a backpack. In a post-Miranda interview, Nichols admitted that the drugs and firearm located during the search belonged to him.

After deliberating for approximately six hours, the jury found Nichols guilty of all counts, including distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and assault on a federal officer.

Following the guilty verdicts on the charges, and after the presentation of evidence regarding Nichols' criminal history, the jury then found that Nichols had the requisite prior convictions to qualify him as an armed career criminal.

Nichols has a 2005 federal conviction out of the Middle District of Tennessee for being a felon in possession of a firearm, receiving a sentence of 110 months in the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). After his release from the BOP, Nichols was convicted of aggravated robbery in Shelby County, Tennessee, in 2015. This conviction was Nichols' third time being convicted for aggravated robbery, having been convicted of the same crime in 1992 and 2005. Nichols also has a 2015 conviction out of Desoto County, Mississippi, for conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

Nichols was detained following the jury's verdict and will be sentenced at a later date. Because of his classification as an armed career criminal, Nichols' felon in possession of a firearm charge carries a sentence of not less than 15 years to life imprisonment. The most serious drug charges also carry a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life imprisonment. Nichols faces a sentence of five years to life imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence, on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, effectively making his minimum sentence 20 years with all charges. The possible sentence for assaulting a federal law enforcement officer is not more than eight years. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the West Memphis Police Department with assistance from the Second Judicial Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted and tried by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Eldridge and Claire Maddox.

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