Jonesboro Man Accused of Fentanyl Trafficking After Drug Task Force Surveillance

JONESBORO, Ark. — Surveillance by the 2nd Judicial District Drug Task Force had led to serious felony charges, including trafficking fentanyl, for a suspect in Jonesboro.

On July 29, 2025, agents conducted surveillance at an address at the 3000 block of Meador Road, the probable cause affidavit says, identifying the residence as that of Shannon Lashun Ray. Ray is described as a “source of supply for narcotics, including but not limited to fentanyl.” Agents suspected Ray of having a “stash house” to store narcotics, but wrote that they had not confirmed the address yet.

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While watching the house, agents observed Ray exit the home and leave in a white Tahoe. He visited an address at the 100 block of Wildwood Ct. for a brief time before traveling north on Main Street. JPD’s Street Crimes Unit conducted a traffic stop for failure to use a turn signal multiple times and a tinted front windshield.

During the traffic stop, K9 Tiger performed a sniff of the vehicle and gave a positive alert. A search yielded 516 grams of suspected pot in various bags or containers.

Agents obtained a search warrant for the address on Wildwood. They found a set of digital scales, two unknown pills, and another set of scales in the laundry room. In the garage, agents found 275 grams of marijuana in three jars, 1.4 grams of suspected fentanyl, 26 blue M30 suspected fentanyl pills, approximately 7.5 grams of meth, 1 hydrocodone pill, and an MGM card with the name Shannon Ray, all found inside a blue cooler.

While being transported to jail, investigators noticed in-car camera footage showed Ray contorting his body in the back seat to use his handcuffed hands to reach around to the area of his midsection, causing his pants to pull down. Ray then moved his hands around to his rectum and made movements that “clearly showed” Ray attempting to put something inside his rectum, the affidavit said. After a body scan, jailers missed any foreign objects, but a supervisor reported something showed up inside his rectum. Jailers planned a second scan. When Ray was notified of the second scan, the jailers reported that he ran to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him, causing it to lock. Jail staff heard the toilet flush, and by the time the door was opened, nothing was found.

Ray faces charges including trafficking fentanyl, an unclassified felony punishable by 20 to 60 years or life in prison. There are also class B felony charges for possession of meth with the purpose to deliver and drug paraphernalia, and a Class D felony charge for possession of a schedule VI substance with the purpose to deliver.

Attorney Bill Stanley represented the defendant in court on Friday. He mentioned defenses, including that the affidavit did not say if officers had tested the substance positively for fentanyl.

Bail was set at $250,000 cash or surety by Judge Barbara Halsey. The defendant is next due in court on Sept. 30.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.