Man pleads guilty to felony drug charge

A Hot Springs man pleaded guilty Monday to a felony drug charge stemming from a traffic stop last year and was sentenced to six years' supervised probation.

Joseph Gino Gargano, 22, who was sentenced as a first-time offender, pleaded guilty to possession of meth with purpose to deliver and in addition to probation was fined $3,500 and ordered to pay $545 in court costs.

According to the affidavit, on Sept. 7, 2017, around 2:15 p.m., Garland County sheriff's Deputy John Youngblood made a traffic stop on a gold Chevrolet pickup truck that had an obstructed license plate because the tailgate was down and a trailer hitch was on the back bumper.

He stopped the vehicle on Airport Road at Stonewall Street and made contact with the driver, identified as Gargano, who was found to have an expired driver's license and the vehicle didn't return to him.

When asked if deputies could search the vehicle, Gargano told them it wasn't his vehicle, but gave consent to search after they explained that since it was under his care and custody he could make that decision.

In searching the vehicle, they located a syringe, a small digital scale and a metal container containing small baggies with 19.4 grams of a white crystal-like substance that later field tested positive for meth.

Gargano was arrested and initially held on $12,500 bond. At a review hearing on Sept. 21, the bond was reduced to $5,000 and he was released. A trial was scheduled for April 10, but was canceled Feb. 28 in anticipation of Monday's plea hearing.

Local on 03/27/2018

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