A Sims woman on parole was sentenced to eight years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to felony charges stemming from the burglary of a local man's residence last year.
Megan Alyssa Gray, 26, who has remained in custody since her arrest July 21, 2017, pleaded guilty to residential burglary and theft of property more than $5,000 and was sentenced to eight years and to possession of a firearm by certain persons and was sentenced to six years, with the sentences to run concurrently.
Gray was also ordered to pay $5,200 in restitution and $170 in court costs. Her accomplice, Brittany Nicole Pennington, 26, of Bonnerdale, pleaded guilty to theft by receiving more than $5,000 on Dec. 18, 2017, in connection with the incident and was sentenced to five years in prison.
According to the affidavit, on July 21, 2017, a resident on Pennington Drive reported a burglary that had occurred earlier that day in which numerous items were stolen including a safe, a laptop computer, 48-inch television and multiple firearms, with a total value in excess of $5,000.
The same day, Garland County sheriff's Lt. Joel Ware was contacted by Hot Springs police after detectives reportedly located some of the stolen items inside a room at the Red Carpet Inn, 1871 E. Grand Ave. along with two women, identified as Pennington and Gray, who were both on parole.
Ware contacted the Arkansas Community Correction office and obtained a search waiver on both suspects and it was determined Gray had rented the motel room and she and Pennington were both staying there together.
In searching the room, investigators found all the items reported stolen in the Pennington Drive burglary except for two of the firearms. One firearm that was located in the room was a pump shotgun.
The affidavit notes Pennington was convicted in Garland County Circuit Court in 2010 for breaking or entering and Gray was convicted in Montgomery County in 2013 for commercial burglary.
Local on 03/15/2018