Area man arrested with $40,000 worth of narcotics
A routine security check at an El Dorado municipal facility earlier this week led to a traffic stop that resulted in the arrest of a Union County man and the recovery of more than $40,000 worth of narcotics.
Derrick L. Rogers, 34, of 851 Phone Pole Road, remained in the Union County Jail late Tuesday in lieu of bonds totaling $105,000.
At approximately 10 p.m. Sunday, El Dorado police were conducting a security check at South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field, 418 Airport Drive, when they spotted Rogers speeding east on U.S. 82.
Capt. Kevin Holt, EPD public information officer, said a police dog was already on the scene, noting that the dog was used in the security check at the airport.
Holt said Rogers was initially taken into custody on a warrant for child support enforcement and several traffic violations, including speeding, driving on a suspended license
and defective taillights.
During a search, officers found a marijuana brick weighing 22.5 pounds, 24 bottles of Promethazine, 2,500 Ecstasy pills, 1,000 Xanax bars, Hydrocodone pills, a semi-automatic pistol and some cash in Rogers’ vehicle.
Rogers faces additional felony charges of five counts of delivery of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of a firearm by a certain person, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms and two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.
As a result of the charges, a new arrest warrant was issued for Rogers on a petition to revoke suspended imposition of sentence. He was also placed on a parole hold.
Holt said there were two children inside Rogers’ vehicle at the time of the traffic stop, but officers had not yet confirmed if Rogers is their father.
On Monday, Rogers appeared in 35th Judicial District Court, where Judge Jack Barker issued a $100,000 bond, cash or corporate surety, on the charges stemming from the traffic stop and a cash-only bond of $5,000 on arrest for child support enforcement.
Holt said the total street value of the drugs that were confiscated from Rogers’ vehicle is $41,000.
“For us it’s satisfying. It might not make the biggest impact, but by diligence and officer observation, it will slow people down from transporting narcotics and in and out of the city,” he said.
“It can prevent someone’s access from trying drugs for the first time. With 3,500 pills taken from this arrest, it can be lifesaving,” he continued. “It’s keeping kids from getting a hold of them.”
During his first appearance hearing Monday, Rogers made statements indicating that he planned hire his own attorney. If he is released from the Union County Jail, Rogers must abide by a daily curfew of 5 p.m. until 7 a.m.