A local man who was being sought on a felony warrant for delivery of meth was arrested on other charges after a raid by the local drug task force Monday night allegedly found over 3 pounds of meth in his possession.
John Raymond Mark Duran, 57, who listed a Goldmine Street address when booked in, was taken into custody shortly after 5 p.m. Monday at a residence on Diamond Drive and charged with trafficking a controlled substance and delivery of meth, each punishable by up to life in prison, and possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to 20 years.
Duran remained in custody Tuesday in lieu of a $255,000 bond and a hold on him by the U.S. Marshals Service and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, agents with the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the DEA and the Hot Springs Police Department's special investigations division executed the arrest warrant on Duran at 239 Diamond Drive.
"There was definitely a lot of time and effort that was put into this," Deputy Prosecutor Trent Daniels, the acting commander of the DTF, told The Sentinel-Record Tuesday.
He said it was a "coordinated effort" of the local agencies, including the DTF and HSPD's SID, and the federal agencies involved "to pull all this together. We couldn't have done it without everyone who was involved."
Daniels said, "We definitely think (Duran) is a major source of meth distribution in Garland County."
The affidavit notes officers received consent from the residents and Duran to search their belongings. They reportedly located two Ziploc bags containing 335.4 grams and 60.7 grams of what later tested positive for meth under a pillow in the room where Duran admitted his belongings were stored.
Two more bags containing 862.9 grams and 106.3 grams of meth were found in a black safe Duran admitted was his, along with multiple empty baggies and digital scales.
Investigators found five more bags totaling 96.2 grams of meth in a glove inside the saddlebag of a 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle that belonged to Duran and was parked outside.
Officers also allegedly located another bag with 77.5 grams of meth in a pocket of a jacket Duran advised he had stored there. The total amount of all the meth recovered was reportedly 1,539 grams, or over 3.3 pounds.
After being read his rights and questioned, Duran reportedly admitted all of the meth belonged to him.