Habitual offender sentenced to prison for credit card theft
A habitual offender was sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to felony and misdemeanor charges regarding stolen credit cards.
Darris Lamar McHenry, 37, who lists an El Dorado address, pleaded guilty to a felony count of theft of a credit card and was sentenced to eight years in prison and a misdemeanor count of fraud- ulent use of a credit card and was sentenced to one year in jail, with the sentences to run concurrently.
McHenry, who had remained in custody since his arrest Aug. 4, 2016, also admitted to his status as a habitual offender, having been previously convicted in 1998 for theft by receiving, residential burglary and theft of property; in 2007 for residential burglary; and in 2016 for theft by receiving of a credit card, all in El Dorado.
According to the affidavit, on July 31, 2016, a local man reported the theft of his backpack from a business on Barker Street. The backpack contained his wallet, ID, credit cards and cash. Security footage from the business showed a black male walking around the business and then he emerged from the rear carrying a backpack, walking toward Central Avenue.
The victim was later notified his credit cards had been used at a gas station on Park Avenue that same day for $12.90 and then $52.22. Someone attempted to use the card again at a retail store for $112.89, but was not successful. Video footage from both businesses was obtained and showed the same black male using the cards.
McHenry was arrested Aug. 1 on unrelated warrants and was developed as a suspect in the theft of the cards. It was noted McHenry was wearing the same clothing as the suspect in the videos. On Aug. 3, McHenry was interviewed about the theft and admitted to taking the backpack and using the credit cards.
He told Hot Springs police he threw the backpack away and later discarded the credit cards.