Felon on parole allegedly found sleeping in truck with gun Friday
A felon on parole was arrested Friday morning after he was allegedly found sleeping in a truck with a gun in his possession.
Austin Cole Seals, 27, who lists a Oates Terrace address in Jessieville, was taken into custody shortly after 10:30 a.m. and charged with felony counts of possession of a firearm by certain persons, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and possession of a defaced firearm, punishable by up to six years.
Seals, who also had three warrants for failure to appear, remained in custody on a zero bond parole hold and was set to appear Monday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 10 a.m. Friday, Garland County sheriff’s Deputy John Dodge received a call about a suspicious vehicle in the 100 block of Barbershop Trail. The anonymous caller told dispatch that Seals was passed out in a truck there and that he had a gun.
While en route, Dodge learned Seals had multiple active warrants for his arrest so he was joined by Cpl. Felix Hunter and Sgt. Jeremy Simpson and they found a black Chevrolet Silverado truck sitting in a driveway with the engine running and Seals was sitting in the driver’s seat asleep.
Dodge knocked on the window and Seals woke up and rolled the window down. After
confirming his identity, the deputies had Seals step out and then Hunter spotted a handgun on the driver’s seat and secured it. The gun, a .38 special revolver was loaded and had the serial number filed off.
A computer check showed Seals was a convicted felon, so he was taken into custody. According to court records, Seals was convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia on Aug. 30,
2017, and sentenced to three years in prison and was later paroled. He was arrested Dec.
5, 2019, on felony charges of possession of meth with purpose to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia and was released on $11,000 bond eight days later. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges in Garland County Circuit Court on March 10 and the case is still pending.