Malvern man arrested on multiple drug charges
A Malvern man, allegedly driving a stolen car, was arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges Tuesday afternoon in the parking lot of a local business after employees reportedly saw him engaging in “possible drug activity.”
Christopher Celedon Yates, 46, was taken into custody at 4:20 p.m. at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, 2705 Central Ave., and charged with felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, meth, and possession of drug paraphernalia, each punishable by up to six years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of theft by receiving under $1,000, punishable by up to one year in jail.
Yates, who is classified as a habitual offender, was being held on a zero bond and was set to appear Wednesday in Garland County District Court. According to court records, he was convicted of delivery of meth on Feb. 6, 2019, in Benton County and sentenced to eight years in prison, but later paroled. He was previously convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of the hot check law in June 2018 in Carroll County and sentenced to five years’ supervised probation.
According to the probable cause affidavit on Tuesday’s arrest, shortly after 4 p.m., Hot Springs police Officer A.J. Tart responded to Oaklawn regarding possible drug activity in lot B3 involving a white Dodge Neon.
Tart was directed by Oaklawn security to the Neon, where he found Yates in the driver’s seat. A computer check showed Yates had a warrant for parole absconding, so he was taken into custody.
The vehicle, a 2003 Dodge Neon, valued at $975, was determined to have been reported stolen in Hot Spring County.
While being searched at the Garland County Detention Center, Yates was allegedly found to have a small plastic wrapper clutched in his hand that contained 1.2 gram of what later tested positive for meth. He also reportedly had an empty syringe in his pants pocket.