Habitual offender given 15-year prison sentence

A habitual offender was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to multiple felony charges stemming from three different incidents last year, including a shooting.

Jeffrey Wayne Mitchell, 44, of Hot Springs, pleaded guilty to simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, two counts of possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver, first-degree battery and three counts of committing a terroristic act and was sentenced to 15 years on each count, to run concurrently. He also pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance, oxycodone, theft by receiving of a firearm and three counts of possession of a firearm by certain persons and was sentenced to six years in prison on each count, also to run concurrently.

Court costs were expunged for time served since his last arrest April 2, 2014, and he agreed to the forfeiture of several items stemming from two of his arrests. Mitchell is classified as a habitual offender, having been previously convicted in 2002 in Pulaski County for theft of property and in 2004 in Jefferson County for theft of property more than $10,000.

According to the affidavit on the possession of oxycodone and one of the firearm possession counts, on Jan. 17, 2014, shortly after midnight, Garland County sheriff's Deputy Clayton Green was dispatched to the area of Lake Hamilton and Lakeland drives regarding a male suspect in a pickup shooting a gun out of the window.

Green and Sgt. Scott West located a white 1998 Chevrolet pickup coming onto Lakeland that matched the description so they stopped it and made contact with the driver, identified as Mitchell, and his female passenger, 21, and asked about a gun in the vehicle. The passenger said she wasn't sure, but Mitchell admitted there was a gun under the seat.

A 9 mm pistol with one round in the chamber was located under Mitchell's seat. Mitchell was patted down for safety and a prescription pill bottle in someone else's name with 18 oxycodone pills was found in his front pocket. Mitchell was taken into custody and later released on $10,000 bond.

According to the affidavit on one of the possession of meth counts, on March 7, 2014, around 2 p.m., Hot Springs police Officer Hammons made a traffic stop on a Monte Carlo driven by Mitchell because it had expired tags and Mitchell was found to not have a driver's license.

Hammons noted that Mitchell and his male passenger were both acting nervous and their stories didn't match. K-9 Officer Hibbard and his canine partner, Onyx, arrived to do a sniff check and Onyx alerted on the car.

A black magnetized bag was found under the center console that contained two clear bags, one ounce each, of meth. A set of digital scales were found between the seats and Mitchell was found to have six hydrocodone pills on him. Mitchell was taken into custody and later released on $7,500 bond.

According to the affidavit on the other charges, on March 28, 2014, shortly after 3 p.m., GCSD deputies responded to a report of shots fired at 1980 Hamilton Dairy Road and initially found no one at the residence. A few minutes later, a pickup arrived occupied by Jonathan Neighbors, 19, and Terrance Green, 25, who both lived there.

Neighbors stated that while traveling north on Hamilton Dairy he saw a small black four-door car sitting on Vaughn Road facing south and noted the driver and passenger were holding guns out the windows. He recognized the passenger to be "Deshawn," later identified as Redmond Deshawn Logan, 26, who he had met before.

Neighbors said Logan was holding his head out of the passenger window aiming some sort of long gun out of the car. He said he turned to ask Green who was in the black car, but before Green could respond shots were being fired. He said he put the car in reverse and fled the area and it was later determined that Cynthia Hamilton, 22, of Hot Springs, who was also a passenger in the pickup, was struck in the arm.

She was later transported by private vehicle to St. Vincent Hot Springs, where she was treated and released. Neighbors was reportedly grazed on the arm by gunfire, but declined medical attention. Green was not hit.

The victims reportedly also recognized the driver as Mitchell, who apparently had a prior dispute with Green. Warrants were issued and Mitchell was arrested April 2 and Logan was arrested April 21. After Mitchell's arrest, he was questioned about the shooting and stated he was in the area looking for Green and that Logan was with him and there was "possibly" a gun in the car.

Mitchell had remained in custody since April 2 in lieu of bonds totaling $150,000 pending trial.

Local on 03/03/2015

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