McDaniel arrested
Drugs confiscated
Pea Ridge Police arrested one man and confiscated more than 1,200 grams of suspected illegal steroids, as a result of an investigation prompted by information received from a task officer with Homeland Security.
Travis Mikal McDaniel, 30, was arrested in connection with Possession of a Schedule III Controlled Substance with the Purpose to Deliver, Possession of a Controlled Substance Schedule I or II (Methamphetamine), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Misdemeanor).
On Sept. 10 police received an email from a Task Force Officer with Homeland Security that contained information pertaining to drug trafficking that was possibly occurring in Pea Ridge. The information was that on or about the date of Aug. 29 Homeland Security learned that a package was originally being received to 193 Wade Lane, Apartment 4, in Pea Ridge, according to the police report.
This package was intercepted and inspected to find to contain approximately a total amount of 1,124.9 grams of various different types of illegal steroids. The package was labeled to be shipped to a Terry Gonzales at 193 Wade Lane, Apartment 4, Pea Ridge, AR 72751. The package was being sent from China.
Police went to the apartment the afternoon of Sept. 18 and made contact with a resident of the apartment identified as McDaniel, according to the report.
“McDaniel was informed why we were making contact referencing the information received from Homeland Security. McDaniel appeared very nervous and did not wish for police to enter his home. He stated that he did receive three separate packages to his residence that were to be received by a Terry Gonzales. He stated that one of the three packages were currently in his possession. He returned to the residence and invited police inside of his residence with him. He escorted us to a kitchen table and handed a box over to us. The box was tan in color, was unopened and had shipping labels on it indicating it was to be received by Terry Gonzales and at the current residence we were currently. Upon further inspection of the package, oriental printing was located on the outside of the box as well as shipping labels indicating that it came from Rosemead, Calif., and possibly through LAX airport, according to the report.
McDaniel admitted he was assisting with trafficking items for his cousin, Kyle Roop, who lives in Louisiana, and he was assisting his cousin with moving steroids through the mail from other countries.
After obtaining a search warrant, police discovered the following items in the apartment:
• Box that contained four packages that were commercially labeled to be food products with Oriental writing on them. Upon further inspection of these packages it would reveal that inside two of the four packages there contained no items of food, but rather packages that were sealed with a white powdery substance (suspected to be steroids) (Two items of bags that contained suspected steroids were later weighed out to be 1,225 grams — first package weighed 1,015 grams and second package weighed 210 grams.);
• A clear plastic baggie containing (later positive field tested) methamphetamine (approximately 0.4 grams); and
• Two smoking devices with burnt marijuana residue.
According to the police report, McDaniel was placed under arrest and transported to the BCSO Jail.
All items seized were subsequently sent to the evidence division at the Pea Ridge Police Department and he some of those items were subsequently sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for drug analysis. A cellphone belonging to McDaniel was seized and a search warrant has to be obtained for the contents of the phone.