Woman arrested in drug raid sentenced to 10 years in prison

A Hot Springs woman arrested during a drug raid on her home last year was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty last week in Garland County Circuit Court.

Billie Jo Bowman, 52, pleaded guilty to the more serious felony charge of simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms while additional charges of unauthorized use of another person's property to facilitate a crime, possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver and possession of a firearm by certain persons were withdrawn.

Bowman's niece, Margo Joann Johnston, 26, of Charleston, who was also arrested during the raid, was found not guilty of felony charges on Jan. 26 after a two-day trial in circuit court. Garland County Public Defender Tim Beckham, who represented Johnston, said at the time Bowman admitted all the drugs and paraphernalia found belonged to her.

"She knew Bowman was selling, but was not involved," Beckham said, noting Johnston had only been staying at Bowman's residence for about three days before the raid occurred.

"The controlled purchases (made by Hot Springs police) that were the basis for the search warrant were done in March and April," he said, so Johnston would not have been there or been involved.

Deputy Prosecutor Trent Daniels said Monday the reason they had pursued the charges against Johnston was because she was on probation at the time of her arrest. "She had been on probation for less than a year and was not supposed to be there," he said, noting a condition of probation is not associating with other convicted felons like Bowman.

The arrest affidavit noted Bowman has a lengthy criminal history with multiple prior felony convictions dating back to 1984, including first-degree murder and forgery. Johnston was previously convicted of felony theft of property in 2016.

According to the affidavit on the arrests, on May 24, 2017, shortly after 6 a.m., officers with the police department's Special Investigations Unit and SWAT team executed a search warrant on Bowman's residence at 104 Ira St. and upon entry found Johnston in the living room on a blowup mattress and Bowman in her bedroom.

Throughout the residence, police located 4.7 grams of meth in baggies, 0.6 gram of cocaine, 3.8 grams of marijuana, 13 acetaminophen/hydrocodone pills, five hydrocodone/ibuprofen pills and five clonazepam pills.

They also located five pipes with residue, numerous pipes without residue, numerous empty baggies, two straws with residue, 14 straws without residue, four cellphones, a spoon, an empty syringe, a syringe loaded with a dark unknown substance, a mirror with a razor blade, four digital scales and a .380 automatic pistol with one round in the chamber.

Bowman was initially held without bond, but was released on $20,000 bond on Oct. 11, 2017, and will be given credit for time served.

Local on 04/10/2018

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