Local couple, teen daughter charged in multi-agency raid
Police allegedly find 13 bags of meth, more inside residence
A local man and woman were arrested on multiple felony drug charges following a multi-agency raid on their house Wednesday morning and their teen daughter was arrested on misdemeanor drug charges.
Barry W. Paxton, 48, and Crystal Jean Ruby Byars, 51, of 308 Pine Meadows Loop, were taken into custody at their residence around 11 a.m. and each charged with trafficking a controlled substance, meth, punishable by up to life in prison, maintaining a drug premises, punishable by up to 10 years, and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by six to 20 years in prison.
Malea Jean Harrison, 18, of the same address and who was identified as the daughter in the affidavit, was also taken into custody during the raid and charged with possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail.
Paxton and Byars both remained in custody Thursday on zero bonds and are set to appear today in Garland County District Court, while Harrison was released on $2,000 bond and is set to appear Sept. 23.
According to the probable cause affidavit, around 11 a.m., officers with the Hot Springs Police SWAT team and Special Investigations-Narcotics, agents with the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force and special agents with the DEA executed a narcotics search warrant at the Pine Meadows Loop residence and located Paxton, Byars and Harrison inside.
In searching the house, they allegedly found a container in the garage with 13 bags of what later tested positive for meth, a total of 371.6 grams or almost a pound, another container with 3.8 grams of meth, multiple baggies, two “scooping cups” with meth residue, digital scales, a smoking pipe and ledger paperwork.
In the master bedroom, they reportedly round another bag with 1.6 grams of meth, a glass smoking device, more baggies and containers with meth residue and a “journal of drug transactions.” They found more bags and syringes with meth and crystal rocks, cellphones and ID belonging to the couple.
A total of 37.7 grams of meth was reportedly recovered from the other baggies and containers found in the residence and in a vehicle parked outside. A total of $2,917 was recovered from the master bedroom and from the vehicle.
In Harrison’s room, they reportedly found one glass pipe and a clear bag with 1.7 grams of marijuana.
They reportedly found multiple items of paperwork and utility bills in Paxton’s name along with his business cards.
All the money was seized by the DTF and a check of records reportedly showed the house belongs to Paxton.
According to court records, Paxton had prior felony convictions out of Pulaski County. He was convicted Feb. 4, 2003, of manufacturing a controlled substance and sentenced to five years’ probation. On Dec. 9, 2005, he was convicted of theft of property and sentenced to nine years’ probation. Byars and Harrison listed no prior criminal history.