Drug sting nets 8-year prison sentence

A local man arrested earlier this year during the multi-agency drug sting dubbed Operation Ice Storm was sentenced to eight years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to felony charges in Garland County Circuit Court.

Paul Ambrosia Skaife, 37, who has remained in custody in lieu of $60,000 bond since his arrest Sept. 28, pleaded guilty to two counts of delivery of meth and two counts of illegal use of a communications device and

was sentenced to eight years on each count, all to run concurrently, while two additional felony counts of unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate certain crimes were withdrawn.

Deputy Prosecutor Trent Daniels said Monday that Skaife agreed to plead guilty to the charges in exchange for Daniels amending the delivery charges from a class Y, punishable by up to life in prison, to a class C, punishable by up to 10 years.

Daniels noted Skaife had one prior felony conviction for robbery from the 1990s, so he is classified as a habitual offender now with five felony convictions. Court costs were expunged for time served since his arrest.

According to the probable cause affidavit for the first delivery count, between the dates of July 9 and 22, investigators with the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force and Arkansas State Police special agents used a confidential source to make a controlled purchase of meth from Skaife in Garland County.

A recorded phone call was made to Skaife to confirm he could sell meth to the source and a price was agreed upon and location for the transaction set up. A portion of the meth was tested after it was purchased and it tested positive. The amount was more than 10 grams but less than 200 grams.

During surveillance of the transaction, Skaife was positively identified based on photos obtained through the Arkansas and National Crime Information Centers. It was noted during the first purchase Skaife was driving a 2006 Pontiac G6 which was registered to a Garland County couple.

According to the affidavit for the second count, between the dates of Aug. 13 and 26, DTF investigators and ASP agents used a confidential source to once again purchase meth from Skaife. The amount purchased, which also tested positive, was between 10 grams and 200 grams and positive ID of Skaife was made using the known photos of him.

During the second transaction, he was driving a 2004 Kia passenger car registered to a Jacksonville man.

Skaife was one of 36 alleged drug traffickers arrested the last week of September as part of Operation Ice Storm that reportedly took up to $1 million worth of drugs off the street. The long range operation was conducted by DTF, Arkansas State Police and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations targeting traffickers in Garland County.

Officers seized more than 30 pounds of meth, two ounces of powder cocaine, 31 ecstasy pills, 141 “controlled pharmaceuticals” and 17 firearms, taken from previously convicted felons prohibited by law from possessing firearms.