Convicted felons arrested on narcotics search warrant

A Hot Springs woman and her niece, both convicted felons, were arrested early Wednesday on multiple felony charges after Hot Springs police executed a narcotics search warrant at the woman’s residence.

Billie Jo Bowman, 51, of 104 Ira St., and Margo Joann Johnston, 25, who lists a Clingstone Way address, were both taken into custody shortly after 6 a.m. at Bowman’s residence after the HSPD Special Investigations Unit made entry to the home with the assistance of the police S.W.A.T. team.

The arrest affidavit notes Bowman has a lengthy criminal history with multiple prior felony convictions dating back to 1984, including first-degree murder and forgery. Johnston was previously convicted of felony theft of property in 2016.

Bowman and Johnston were each charged with simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, punishable by up to life in prison, unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate a crime, possession of methamphetamine or cocaine with purpose to deliver and possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance with purpose to deliver, each punishable by up to 20 years, possession of meth or cocaine with purpose to deliver and maintaining drug premises, each punishable by up to 10 years, and possession of a firearm by certain persons, possession of a Schedule IV or V controlled substance with purpose to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia, each punishable by up to six years, and misdemeanor counts of possession with intent to deliver punishable by up to one year in jail.

Both remained in custody Thursday in lieu of zero bond and are set to appear in Garland County District Court June 6.

According to the affidavit, when police en-

tered the residence they found Johnston in the living room and Bowman in a bedroom.

Throughout the residence, police allegedly located a brown substance that field tested positive for meth, 4.7 grams of meth in baggies, 0.6 gram of cocaine, 3.8 grams of marijuana, 13 acetaminophen/hydrocodone pills, five hydrocodone/ibuprofen pills and five clonazepam pills.

They also located five pipes with residue, numerous pipes without residue, numerous empty baggies, two straws with residue, 14 straws without residue, four cellphones, a spoon, an empty syringe, a syringe loaded with a dark unknown substance, a mirror with a razor blade, four digital scales and a .380 automatic pistol with one round in the chamber.