An almost five-month operation by the local drug task force targeting an alleged heroin distribution ring operating in Garland County resulted in the arrest of 13 suspects, most in the last three days, officials said at a news conference on Friday.
The genesis of the operation, dubbed Operation White Horse, began with a heroin overdose fatality on June 7 where officers attempted to revive the victim with Narcan but were unsuccessful, Garland County Prosecuting Attorney Michelle Lawrence, who oversees the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force, said.
In late May, DTF investigators had received information about "a small group of individuals establishing themselves as heroin distributors in and around the Garland County area," she said. With that information and other information developed after the heroin fatality, investigators began planning and executing what would become Operation White Horse.
"A core group of six individuals with ties to other states, including California and Texas, were the primary focus," she said, with an additional three suspects with links to the original group added as the investigation progressed.
Heroin and three firearms, including an AR-15 assault rifle, were purchased from these nine suspects, Lawrence said, and roughly a half-ounce of heroin, with a street value of $3,600, "was taken off the streets of Hot Springs and Garland County."
Between Tuesday and Thursday, DTF agents working with officers from Arkansas Community Correction, the Garland County Sheriff's Department Narcotics Unit, the Arkansas State Police, and Hot Springs Police Department SWAT team, began serving warrants for delivery of a controlled substance and criminal organization activity for those involved in this heroin ring, she said.
Early Friday morning, the DTF executed an unrelated narcotics search warrant at 135 Dart St. and 178 Fury St., with the assistance of the Garland County Tactical Response Team, police SWAT team and an Arkansas State Police helicopter to make entry and secure the residences, resulting in the arrests of five suspects.
"I really want to give thanks to each of these agencies. The success of Operation White Horse and the success of the operation this morning could not be done without the assistance of these agencies," Lawrence said.
Joining Lawrence at Friday's news conference were Police Chief Jason Stachey, Garland County Sheriff Mike McCormick, deputy prosecutors Kara Petro and Trent Daniels, the acting commander for the DTF, and Duane "Dak" Kees, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.
"Hot Springs and Garland County and the surrounding area are just a little bit safer today because of the work of this drug task force. I want to thank them not just as a U.S. attorney, but thank them as a person who has family here. My mother and dad live in Hot Springs," Kees said.
"I want to thank you for the work that you do, thank you for your sacrifice and thank you for going out there day and night and putting your lives on the line in order to make this community a little bit safer," he said.
"My office has always had not just a good, but a great relationship with local law enforcement in Hot Springs and Garland County and I know that relationship and that commitment is going to continue."
Kees stressed that Operation White Horse was not a federal operation. "This was purely a local and state operation," he said, noting, "I am here to support Michelle as so many times she has been there to support my office."
Kees announced at the conference that, "for the first time," he will be assigning an assistant U.S. attorney to Hot Springs "to work with state and local and federal law enforcement" and has also designated Daniels and Petro as special assistant U.S. attorneys "to work with my office to prosecute federal crimes, mostly drug and gun crimes."
"This is just a show of the commitment we have with Garland County and Hot Springs law enforcement," he said.
In total, 13 individuals were arrested with ties to distribution of both guns and heroin, Lawrence said. Additional amounts of heroin, meth and drug paraphernalia were also seized as a result. Four of the guns were seized from convicted felons who are prohibited by law from possessing any firearms, resulting in additional charges against them, she said.
Of the nine primary actors identified, seven are in custody, but two are still being sought, Daniels told The Sentinel-Record Friday.
Jessie Robert Evans, 36, who last listed a Woodlawn Avenue address, is being sought on a warrant for delivery of a controlled substance after investigators allegedly purchased "a couple of grams of heroin" from him, Daniels said, noting Evans has "an extensive criminal history." Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call police at 321-6789 or the sheriff's department at 622-3660.
Another suspect, "the California contact," is still being sought but his information was still sealed as of Friday, Daniels said.
The seven core suspects who are in custody are: Shana Nicole Perry, 19, who lists a Thornton Street address, and Natasha Aspinwall, 28, who lists a Ramble Street address, both arrested Thursday; Crystal Megan Huckaby, 33, who lists a Shady Grove Road address, arrested Wednesday; Alexander Joseph Woods, 22, who lists a Frieda Street address, and Larry Wayne Natt Jr., 32, who lists an Indian Hills address, both arrested Tuesday; Sean Andrew Yates, 30, who lists a Julep Street address, who was arrested Sept. 22 on an unrelated theft charge and charged in connection with the drug ring on Tuesday.
Also arrested was Frank James Radley, 26, of Royal, who is in custody but is currently in the hospital, Daniels said. The other six are all in custody in the Garland County Detention Center each facing multiple felony charges.
Others arrested as a result of Operation White Horse include Trevor Thomas Saunders, 32, who lists no permanent address; Erin Michelle Taber, 32, who lists a Chelle Street address; Demarius Lesajun Grisby, 27, who lists a Margo Circle address; and Charles Christopher Frazier, 32, who lists a Bafanridge Street address, who were all arrested Wednesday; and James Aaron Vigil, 36, and Brandi Nicole Leonard, who both list a Truett Trail address, who were arrested Tuesday.
Daniels said the arrests of Vigil and Frazier, who were both on parole, were the results of home visits where heroin and other contraband were located. Both were known to be distributors, he said, noting they were arrested with the assistance of Arkansas Community Correction.
Ones like Grisby were arrested while serving the warrants on the others, he said, noting Grisby is related to Natt.
"It all kept looping back in on itself," Daniels said.
The charges against each of the suspects vary, but many were charged with simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, punishable by up to life in prison, unauthorized use of another person's property to facilitate certain crimes, punishable by up to 20 years, as well as delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful use of a communication device, manufacturing a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm by certain persons.
Regarding the arrests made Friday on Dart and Fury streets, Lawrence said several months prior investigators had identified two suspects, Steve Zuber and Charles Hancock, as the primary distributors of meth from those residences.
Investigators were able to make numerous purchases of meth from both suspects who were arrested on charges of delivery of a controlled substance, meth. Both men and three others were taken into custody without incident.
Lawrence said the property was searched and investigators located 6 ounces of meth, 17 firearms, $12,000 in cash and numerous items of paraphernalia, noting, "The search is still continuing at this time."
The DTF is comprised of Investigators from the state police, sheriff's department, police department, the 18th Judicial District East prosecuting attorney's office and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.
Local on 10/20/2018