Hot Springs police helping a man retrieve some of his belongings from a local residence Saturday ended up arresting three residents there on felony charges after drugs and paraphernalia were allegedly found inside.
Jason Daniel Alford, 36, of 204-B Fleet St., was taken into custody at his residence shortly before 11:30 a.m. Saturday and charged with unauthorized use of another person's property to facilitate a crime, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, possession of meth with purpose to deliver, punishable by up to 10 years, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, each punishable by up to six years, and two misdemeanor counts of possession with purpose to deliver.
Also arrested were Randy Wayne Sharp, 47, and Tawana Ellis, 38, both of 204-B Fleet St., who were each charged with possession of a controlled substance, meth, and possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to six years.
Alford was being held on bonds totaling $19,500 and Sharp was being held on $5,000 bond and both appeared Monday in Garland County District Court. Ellis was released on $5,000 bond and is set to appear Feb. 13 in district court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 9:15 a.m. Saturday, police Officer Jonathon Langford was asked by a local man who had been staying at the Fleet Street residence with his cousin if Langford would assist him in retrieving some of his belongings.
He said he had helped his cousin move out earlier that morning and then got a "disturbing" text message from Ellis, one of his cousin's roommates, asking him not to return because the primary renter, identified as Alford, had a shotgun.
It was determined Alford was on parole and a warrant had been issued for his arrest for absconding. Langford went with the man to the residence and upon arrival, the man met Sharp just inside the door and told him he needed to get his belongings. Sharp told police Alford and Ellis were in Alford's bedroom asleep.
The man went to his room, got his belongings and left. Cpl. Mike Brown, who had come to assist, reportedly observed drug paraphernalia in plain sight on a bed where Sharp was sitting. He detained Sharp who began speaking loudly, prompting Ellis to come out to see what was going on.
The officers told Ellis to wake Alford up and after observing Alford on the bed through the open door, the officers went in and took him into custody on the warrant. They reportedly saw drug paraphernalia in the room and detained Alford, Ellis and Sharp until the department's Special Investigations Division officers could respond.
As part of his parole, Alford, who was confirmed to be the primary renter, had a waiver to search his property so officers conducted a search of the residence.
They reportedly found 10 syringes loaded with what later tested positive for meth, a total of 1.6 gram, marijuana cigarettes, digital scales, a homemade meth bong, a glass meth pipe, baggies and spoons with residue, and multiple pills, including lorazepam, trazodone and loratadine.
Local on 02/06/2018