A previously convicted drug dealer arrested again on numerous felony drug charges last year and earlier this year was sentenced to a total of 30 years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday in Garland County Circuit Court.
Jerome A. Hunter, 55, of Hot Springs, pleaded guilty to three counts of delivery of meth, one count of possession of meth with purpose to deliver and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia and was sentenced to 20 years on each count, all to run concurrently, but he was also sentenced to 10 years in prison from the revocation of his 2016 conviction on drug charges, which is to run consecutively for a total of 30 years.
Additional felony charges of simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, possession of a firearm by certain persons, theft by receiving and three counts of unlawful use of a communication device were withdrawn.
Deputy Prosecutor Trent Daniels noted when Hunter was convicted in 2016 he was sentenced to 20 years with 10 years suspended, essentially being given a second chance to possibly reform his behavior.
"When we get these that were given a second bite of the apple that continue to deal drugs then we are going to come down a lot more heavy on them," he said, noting Hunter did agree to plead guilty without the confidential informant used in his cases having to be revealed.
According to the probable cause affidavit on the possession charges, on Oct. 12, 2019, around 9 p.m., Hot Springs police Officer Richard Davis was patrolling in the area of Malvern and East Grand avenues when he spotted a red Dodge pickup truck that matched the description of one reported stolen earlier.
After checking the license plate and confirming it was the stolen vehicle, he followed it to the 300 block of Potter Street where it pulled into a parking space in front of a residence and he made a traffic stop. The driver, identified as Hunter, and female passenger were both taken into custody.
During an inventory of the vehicle, Davis found a clear bag containing three smaller baggies between the driver and passenger side floorboard. Two baggies were found to contain what later tested positive for meth, a total of 4.2 grams, and the other baggie had four pills later determined to be Buspirone Hydrochloride, not a controlled substance.
Behind the passenger side seat, a loaded 9-mm handgun was found and the affidavit notes the gun and meth were both within reach of Hunter.
In searching Hunter, officers found a digital scale, a nylon holster and a glass pipe with burn marks. Hunter was found to have several prior felony convictions, most recently on July 1, 2016, for possession with purpose to deliver meth or cocaine.
According to the affidavit on the delivery charges, between July 1, 2019, and Oct. 1, 2019, agents with the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force used a confidential informant to make three controlled purchases of meth from Hunter at a predetermined location in Hot Springs.
The weight of the meth purchased during each transaction was over 2 grams but less than 10 grams. A cellphone was used to arrange all three of the purchases from Hunter. A warrant was issued for Hunter's arrest on Jan. 21 and he was taken into custody that same day. He had been set to stand trial on all the charges against him on Oct. 14.