A local man was sentenced to eight years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to felony charges in Garland County Circuit Court stemming from three arrests involving drugs and guns.
Patrick Tyler Creasy, 34, of Hot Springs, who has remained in custody since his last arrest on Sept. 21, 2021, pleaded guilty to two counts of simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, one count of delivery of meth and felony failure to appear and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with 12 years suspended, for a total of eight years in prison.
Additional charges of possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver, involving meth, Suboxone, Xanax and marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia were withdrawn.
Garland County Deputy Prosecutor Trent Daniels said Tuesday if Creasy violates any of the conditions of his suspended sentence during the 12 years following his release he could face up to life in prison on the original charges.
Daniels also noted Creasy had "zero criminal history" prior to his first arrest on April 18, 2020, which was a factor in the plea agreement.
According to the probable cause affidavit on his initial arrest, shortly after 2:30 p.m., Hot Springs police Officer Jonathan Smith stopped a red 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche with expired tags in the 1200 block of Central Avenue and while the passenger jumped out and fled, the driver, identified as Creasy, tossed his keys out and held his hands up.
Creasy stated he had a concealed carry permit and a .45-caliber handgun in a hip holster which was retrieved by Smith, who then used his K-9 partner, Bear, to track the passenger who was located and arrested.
Smith asked Creasy for consent to search his vehicle and he "seemed very nervous" and refused consent. Smith had Bear begin a narcotics sniff of the vehicle and the dog alerted on a silver box near the driver's side window.
Inside the box, officers found three used syringes and a plastic container with a baggie of meth and a baggie with 12.5 Xanax pills. Also inside the vehicle officers found a loaded .22-caliber revolver, an unloaded pump-action 12-gauge shotgun, a digital scale, a small amount of marijuana and a backpack that contained another digital scale, another baggie with meth and a syringe. Creasy was arrested, but released on $25,000 bond two days later.
According to the probable cause affidavit on his June 19, 2021, arrest, shortly before 11 p.m., HSPD Sgt. Joey Williams saw a white Chevy Avalanche northbound in the 3000 block of Central Avenue traveling at a high rate of speed. After the Avalanche passed another car in the outside lane, veered into the turn lane and passed a second car without signaling, Williams pulled it over at the parking lot of Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, 2705 Central.
A dispatcher advised the license plate returned to a different vehicle. As Williams approached the driver, identified as Creasy, it was discovered he had no paperwork or insurance for the vehicle.
Williams noted Creasy and his male passenger, 28, both appeared nervous, avoiding eye contact, and the passenger was visibly shaking. He asked Creasy if there was a gun in the car and he confirmed he had one next to his leg between his seat and the center console. Williams retrieved the gun, a loaded Ruger .22-caliber pistol.
Since Creasy had the previous arrest for drugs, Williams called for Smith and Bear to again conduct a sniff of the vehicle and Bear alerted quickly on the driver's side area. Officers found a small rubber pipe with marijuana residue and a used syringe so Creasy was taken into custody for having drug paraphernalia.
Creasy was asked to remove his boots and as he was removing his right boot a small plastic baggie fell out.
"Creasy then immediately stepped on the baggie with his right foot and began to grind the baggie into the ground in an attempt to destroy it," Williams said. Officers stopped him and retrieved the bag, which contained 0.9 gram of what later tested positive for meth.
In Creasy's left pocket, officers found seven packets, a total of 70-milligrams, of Suboxone. They also found a broken .22-caliber round and an intact .22-caliber round in his other pockets.
Creasy was arrested and initially held on zero bond, but was released on July 5 on a $50,000 bond. Creasy failed to appear for his arraignment on Aug. 10 and a warrant was issued. Creasy was arrested on Sept. 24 and has remained in custody since then.
On Feb. 14, while he was still in jail, he was served with a warrant for delivery of meth, punishable by up to 20 years.
According to the affidavit. on April 29, 2021, detectives with the HSPD's Special Investigations Narcotics Unit purchased 3.2 grams of meth from Creasy using a confidential informant while both were under surveillance.
A warrant was issued for Creasy on the delivery charge on Jan. 27.