An Alexander man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to multiple felony drug charges stemming from a traffic stop for reckless driving in 2016.
Steven Gene McClard, 36, pleaded guilty to simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver, involving meth and hydrocodone, and was sentenced to 10 years on each count, to run concurrently.
Additional felony counts of possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver involving oxycodone, suboxone, Xanax and marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of theft by receiving of firearms were withdrawn as part of the plea agreement.
McClard is classified as a habitual offender, having been previously convicted in 2003 in Sebastian County of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana, second offense.
According to the affidavit, on Dec. 10, 2016, shortly before 2 a.m., Garland County sheriff's deputies were notified of a westbound Ford truck driving recklessly on Highway 70 east near Cloud Nine RV Park. Deputy Clayton Green located the truck traveling westbound on the King Expressway and noted the driver, later identified as McClard, failed to maintain his lane twice, and the license plate returned to a different vehicle. Deputy Matthew Cogburn initiated a traffic stop on the truck on the expressway just west of the McLeod exit.
McClard claimed he was all over the road because he was attempting to answer his cellphone. He was asked to exit the vehicle and Green noted McClard smelled of marijuana. McClard said he had a "roach" in his pocket which the deputies seized. McClard was detained, and a 9-mm firearm was seen in plain view halfway under the center console.
During an inventory of McClard's vehicle, deputies located 2.6 grams of what later field tested positive for meth, 5.5 Xanax bars, five hydrocodone pills, five oxycodone pills, 43.2 grams of marijuana, four loose baggies, 24 unopened packages and two opened packages of suboxone, one meth pipe, two marijuana grinders, one set of digital scales, $638 in cash, two cellphones, an AR-15 and six magazines with 104 rounds of ammunition.
Upon further investigation, it was determined that the AR-15 and the 9-mm had been reported stolen in Bryant.
McClard was arrested that day on multiple charges and released on Dec. 24, 2016, on $25,000 bond. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on March 7, 2017, and the case was continued several times before being set for a disposition hearing on Tuesday.
Local on 08/09/2018