Habitual offender sentenced to prison
A Hot Springs man arrested on a felony drug charge after a routine traffic stop earlier this year was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty Monday in Garland County Circuit Court.
Elijah Plummer III, 49, who was set to stand trial Aug. 31, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, punishable by up to six years in prison, and in addition to prison time was ordered to pay $295 in court costs upon his release.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors withdrew a motion to prosecute Plummer as a habitual offender. He was previously convicted on Aug. 22,
2011, for third-degree domestic battery, second offense, and theft by receiving and sentenced to five years’ probation.
According to the affidavit, on March 1, shortly after 9:30 a.m., Garland County sheriff’s Deputy Justin Parker was patrolling in the area of Airport and Cain roads when he made a traffic stop on a red 2003 Pontiac
Grand Am because the driver, later identified as Plummer, was not wearing a seat belt.
After making contact with Plummer, Parker determined his driver’s license was suspended.
Parker also noted Plummer kept his right hand hidden between his body and the center console. When he asked him to show him his hand, Plummer first moved his hand closer to the passenger seat, unclenched his fist and then showed his empty hand.
Plummer was asked to exit the vehicle so it could be inventoried prior to towing and Parker located a small plastic baggie in the area where Plummer had moved his hand. The baggie contained 0.5 gram of what later tested positive for meth.
Plummer was arrested and later released on
$2,500 bond pending trial.
• A local woman pleaded guilty Monday in circuit court to breaking into a local restaurant after hours and stealing numerous items last year.
Angela Padgett, 39, who lists a 1001 Mineral St. address, pleaded guilty to a felony count of commercial burglary and was sentenced to three years’ probation, fined $1,000 and ordered to pay
$720 in court costs. Padgett, who had no prior criminal history, will also have to pay restitution in an amount to be determined later.
According to the affidavit, on Nov. 22, 2016, a burglary was reported at Fat Jack’s, 101 Central
Ave., which was captured on the restaurant’s security video.
Hot Springs police Detective Paul Allen reviewed the security video and noted it showed a white female wearing sunglasses using a knife to manipulate a door lock to gain entry. She was inside the business for more than an hour, taking several items.
At one point, she removed her sunglasses and looked directly at the security camera “in an attempt to see items more clearly on top of a shelf,” the affidavit states.
Allen was able to develop information the female was Padgett and later confirmed it by comparing her driver’s license photo to a still from the video.
Padgett was arrested Dec. 12, 2016, and later released on $2,500 bond. She failed to appear for her arraignment in circuit court on March 13,
2017, so a bench warrant was issued. She was arrested again June 5 and had remained in custody since then on zero bond.