Local task force takes part in statewide drug operation
As part of a statewide drug crackdown dubbed Operation Task Force, the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force focused on seven individual meth distributors in Garland County and made controlled purchases from them between July 10 and Sept. 20 this year, the DTF said in a news release Friday.
The local DTF joined the 18 other drug task force groups in Arkansas, working in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration and federal and state prosecutors “in a combined effort to reverse the horrible effects on communities produced by violent drug traffickers,” the release said.
The operation resulted in the arrest statewide of 1,260 individuals on federal and state charges and the seizure of 211 firearms, over 37 kilograms of meth,
1,293 pounds of marijuana, 47 kilograms of cocaine, almost one kilogram of heroin, 228,913 controlled prescription pills,
$357,399 in U.S. currency and 32 vehicles, the release said.
In Garland County, the DTF obtained arrest warrants and one search warrant, and upon execution of the warrants, an additional 29 grams of meth,
83.6 grams of marijuana and two firearms were located. Three vehicles associated with the sale and distribution of narcotics were confiscated with two additional suspects identified and arrested during the execution of the warrants.
The one search warrant resulted in the arrest Thursday of Jamal Dewayne Glover, 44, and Zetecha Elrosie Leeper, 42, both of 201 Bower St., who were taken into custody shortly after 6 a.m. at their residence and each charged with simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, punishable by up to life in prison, possession of meth with purpose to deliver and unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate a crime, each punishable by up to 20
years, and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Glover, who was convicted of a felony in 1996 in Garland County, was also charged with possession of a firearm by certain persons, punishable by up to 20 years, and had warrants for four counts of delivery of meth, four counts of unlawful use of a communications device and two additional counts of unauthorized use of another person’s property.
Both suspects were being held on zero bond and appeared Friday in Garland County District Court.
Agents with Arkansas Community Correction’s Hot Springs office and the Arkansas Fugitive Task Force assisted in the operation, which led to the arrests Tuesday night of parole absconder Joshua Allen Fite, 31, of Hot Springs, and two associates, Steven Dewayne Westfall, 46, and John Ricky Stringer, 33, both of Leola.
Those arrests resulted in the recovery of 56.4 grams of meth, two firearms and $4,573 in currency, all seized by the DTF along with the vehicle they were driving, the release said.
An additional individual, Shane Krum, was arrested by the Garland County Sheriff’s Department with over 50 grams of meth during the operation and was charged by the U.S. attorney’s office with criminal offenses, the release said.
Garland County Prosecuting Attorney Michelle Lawrence, the coordinator for the DTF, extended “a special thank you” to Arkansas State Police Troop K, Arkansas Community Correction’s Hot Springs office, Hot Springs Police Department SWAT team, and the Garland County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Unit for their assistance during the operation.
According to the probable cause affidavit for the arrests of Glover and Leeper, investigators with the DTF, Arkansas State Police and Garland County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at the Bower Street residence with the assistance of the Hot Springs Police SWAT team who made entry and secured the house.
Leeper was reportedly located in a bathroom off the main bedroom and Glover was found in the main bedroom on the right side of the bed. In the bedroom, investigators allegedly located a .38-caliber revolver and a box of bullets in the nightstand on the left side of the bed.
In the trash can on the right side of the bed, they found a plastic baggie containing 7 grams of what later tested positive for meth. The affidavit notes the trash can was near where Glover had been lying.
One set of digital scales was found on an ironing board in a secondary room and a second set of scales were found along with a silver tray with meth residue in “the barbershop portion of the residence.”
A computer check revealed the residence belongs to someone other than Glover or Leeper.
According to the probable cause affidavit on Glover’s warrants, between July 12 and Aug. 20, 2018, DTF agents and Arkansas State Police made four controlled purchases of meth using a confidential source from a person later positively identified as Glover. All the purchases involved the use of a cellphone or communication device.
Three of the purchases involved 0 to 20 grams of meth, making it a felony punishable by up to 10 years, and one purchase was for 2 to 10 grams, making it a felony punishable by up to 20 years. The warrants for Glover’s arrest were issued on Sept. 17.