A known drug dealer who carjacked and assaulted a local man at gunpoint last year was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to felony charges in Garland County Circuit Court.
Landon Ray Duddles, 36, of Donaldson, who was set to stand trial Feb. 27, pleaded guilty to robbery, reduced from an original charge of aggravated robbery, and delivery of meth, and was sentenced to the maximum of 20 years on each count to run concurrently.
Additional felony charges of kidnapping, theft by receiving, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful use of a communications device and a misdemeanor charge of third-degree battery were withdrawn as part of the plea deal. Court costs were expunged for time served since his initial arrest May 6, 2019.
According to the probable cause affidavits, on May 5, 2019, shortly before 3 p.m., Hot Springs police responded to the intersection of Albert Pike and Gilchrist in reference to a possible kidnapping.
Upon arrival, they made contact with a male victim who stated that around 11 p.m. the night before he was at a friend's house on Mallview Court when an unknown type of vehicle pulled up and stopped. He said three men and a woman got out and started arguing with his friend.
The victim said he recognized one of the men as Duddles because Duddles had tried to sell him a vehicle a few days earlier. The victim said his friend was able to drive away and at that point Duddles and the other men attacked him.
He said they were punching and kicking him and at one point Duddles pointed a black handgun at him and demanded money. Then Duddles forced the victim into the victim's vehicle, a white 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe, got in with him and ordered him to drive.
The victim said Duddles made him drive to a dirt road in an undisclosed location followed in the other vehicle by the other two men and the woman. Once there, Duddles again demanded money or the title to the victim's car, but the victim told him he didn't have any money and the title was at his house.
Duddles then made the victim drive to his residence on Cozy Acres Road where he was unable to find the title. Duddles told the victim he "better come up with the money or he was a dead man," and then drove off in the victim's vehicle.
Officers noted the victim had "significant swelling" and blackening to his right eye and "some type of discharge protruding from his eye" along with numerous scratches and lacerations on his back, torso and arms.
The next day, around noon, Garland County sheriff's Deputy Roy Elliott received a call about the stolen Tahoe being driven westbound on Albert Pike Road and spotted it at Albert Pike and Kirchwood Road.
Elliott followed it to the 100 block of Geneva Road where the Tahoe stopped and he saw a man, later identified as Duddles, exiting the driver's side of the vehicle while a woman, 40, exited the passenger side.
After confirming it was the stolen vehicle, Elliott took Duddles into custody and reportedly found a bag of meth and four syringes in a pair of pants in the back seat that belonged to Duddles. He was charged with theft by receiving for the stolen vehicle and various drug charges. Three days later, the kidnapping, aggravated robbery and battery charges were filed against him in connection with the carjacking.
According to the affidavit on the delivery of meth charge, between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, 2018, agents with the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force made a controlled purchase of meth from Duddles in Garland County that was more than 2 grams, but less than 10 grams.
It was noted a cellphone was used to make the arrangements for the purchase via Facebook messages.
Duddles was previously arrested Oct. 28, 2017, on a charge of theft by receiving over $5,000 after he was caught driving a red 1986 Chevrolet pickup that had been reported stolen four days earlier. He pleaded guilty on Dec. 16, 2019, in circuit court and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. His sentence will run concurrently with the new sentence.
Duddles is classified as a habitual offender having been convicted in 2004 in Hot Spring County of possession of a controlled substance; in 2004 in Garland County of writing hot checks; in 2009 in Hot Spring County of residential burglary; in 2010 in Garland County of second-degree battery; and in 2019 in Hot Spring County of three counts of possession with purpose to deliver and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Local on 02/11/2020