FORT WORTH, Texas - Two Arlington men have been sentenced to lengthy federal prison terms for sex trafficking a juvenile runaway and distributing fentanyl, federal prosecutors announced.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould said Jamal Howard, 52, was sentenced Jan. 30, 2026, to 600 months in prison for sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, distributing fentanyl to a person under 21, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Renaldo Rojas, 27, was sentenced Jan. 15, 2026, to 360 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distributing fentanyl to a person under 21. Both men were indicted in June 2025 and pleaded guilty in October 2025.
According to court documents, a minor female was reported as a runaway to the Arlington Police Department in late July 2024. Prosecutors said Rojas provided the teen with fentanyl and sent Howard photos of her, offering to connect the two in exchange for drugs.
After providing fentanyl pills to Rojas, Howard transported the minor to his Arlington apartment, supplied her with fentanyl, photographed her, and posted commercial sex advertisements online. Court records show Howard trafficked the victim to multiple individuals between late July and Aug. 1, 2024. During that time, Howard also distributed fentanyl to Rojas, with phone records reflecting discussions involving more than 5,000 fentanyl pills.
On Aug. 1, 2024, members of the North Texas Trafficking Task Force, including agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Arlington Police Department, located and rescued the minor at an Arlington apartment. Investigators also uncovered evidence of large-scale fentanyl distribution.
Two additional individuals were sentenced for related drug trafficking activity. Elnora Jordan, 63, of Arlington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments connected to Howard’s fentanyl sales and was sentenced Feb. 3, 2026, to 21 months in federal prison. Prosecutors said she accepted payments from customers through a phone app, transferred the money to her bank account, and withdrew cash for Howard.
Yolanda Gonzales, 23, of Hurst, was sentenced Jan. 22, 2026, to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to communicating with Howard about purchasing and distributing fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman imposed the sentences. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allyson Monte.
