Man faces multiple felony charges after a traffic stop

Demarian Tyrell Ford -- Submitted photo
Demarian Tyrell Ford -- Submitted photo

A local man is facing multiple felony drug charges following a traffic stop early Friday for having a defective headlight, after which he allegedly admitted to various drugs being in his car.

Demarian Tyrell Ford, 43, who lists an Enterprise Drive address, was taken into custody shortly after 4:30 a.m. and charged with possession of meth with purpose to deliver, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by six to 20 years in prison, possession of a controlled substance, alprazolam, with purpose to deliver, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana with purpose to deliver, punishable by up to one year in jail.

Ford was being held on a $17,000 bond and was set to appear Monday in Garland County District Court.

According to the probable cause affidavit, around 4:30 a.m. Friday, Hot Springs police Officer William Stockwell made a traffic stop on a gray 2013 Chrysler 300 at E. Grand Avenue and Daisy Street for having a defective headlight.

He made contact with the driver, identified as Ford, and asked if there was anything illegal in the car. Ford initially told him no, but told Stockwell he could search the car if he wanted.

Stockwell reportedly found a pill bottle in the sunglasses compartment of the visor that contained a bag with a white crystal substance and Ford allegedly made a spontaneous statement it was meth. The substance, 2.2 grams, was later confirmed to be meth with a field test.

Ford also stated there were "needles in the back seat" he used for meth and 10 syringes were found there. A bag found on the passenger side floorboard was found to contain 10 alprazolam pills and a glass pipe. Ford then stated he also had some marijuana and officers found a glass jar where he indicated that contained 1.3 grams of marijuana.

Ford was previously convicted on Sept. 12, 2017, in Pulaski County of failure to register as a sex offender and was sentenced to three years in prison, but later paroled. He was arrested again on Sept. 16, 2020, in Garland County for failing to register as a sex offender and later released on a $3,500 bond with a hearing set for May 3.

Ford was arrested again on Jan. 14, 2021, on charges of first-degree forgery, possession of a firearm by certain persons, possession of a controlled substance, meth, and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and is set to be arraigned today on those charges in Garland County Circuit Court.

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