Men from Horatio, HS charged with drug offenses
Men from Horatio and Hot Springs were arrested on felony drug charges Tuesday morning by local drug task force agents after they were allegedly seen leaving a residence under surveillance.
Charles Allen Harvey, 57, who lists a Horatio address, was taken into custody shortly before 11 a.m. and charged with possession of meth with purpose to deliver, punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to 20 years.
Jordan Ray Ward, 29, who lists a Spring Street address, was taken into custody at the same time and charged with possession of a controlled substance, meth, and possession of drug paraphernalia, each punishable by up to six years.
Both men are on parole and being held on zero bonds and set to appear Wednesday in Garland County District
Court. According to court records, Harvey was convicted in 2020 in Polk County of theft of property over $5,000 and sentenced to seven years in prison, but later paroled. Ward was convicted in 2019 in Garland County of possession of a firearm by certain persons and criminal use of a prohibited weapon and sentenced to four years in prison, but later paroled.
According to the probable cause affidavit, agents with the Arkansas Community Correction’s Special Response Team were conducting surveillance on a residence in Hot Springs, looking for a wanted fugitive.
They saw a white GMC Envoy pull up to the residence and two white males exit the vehicle and go inside. After 45 minutes, the two men came out, got back in the GMC and left.
Agents followed the vehicle until it pulled into the parking lot of the Family Dollar, 899 Park Ave., and the driver, later identified as Harvey, went in the store. Agents pulled behind the GMC and one made contact with the passenger, identified as Ward, while another went inside the store and had Harvey come back out.
When questioned, both Harvey and Ward reportedly admitted they were on supervised parole. When asked if he had any drugs on him, Harvey allegedly said yes and pulled out a bag with a white crystal substance and put it on the hood.
Harvey was detained and searched and agents reportedly found four more baggies of meth, a total of 11.6 grams, and empty baggies. In searching Ward, they reportedly found one baggie with 1.2 grams of meth and a syringe.
Harvey reportedly asked if he could take the charges for Ward and stated the drugs all belonged to him. Ward then said the coat he was wearing where the drugs were found belonged to Harvey and he was just wearing it.
The SRT agents then contacted agents with the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force who responded to their location and took both suspects into custody and confiscated the drugs for evidence.