Hearing slated for trio in $140K meth case

The three drug trafficking suspects accused of carrying meth valued at $140,000 will have their first appearance before a circuit judge Tuesday in the Little River County Circuit Court in Ashdown, Ark.

The trio who were arrested for allegedly trafficking a control substance Aug. 5, remain in custody and include:

n Clarence Johnson, 27 of Pine Bluff. He remains in custody in the Little River County jail in Ashdown n Jerry Delony, 40, of Ashdown n Byann Blakeney, 38, of Big Sandy, Texas

Delony and Blakeney remain in custody in the Sevier County jail in De Queen.

The criminal charges will be presented to the trio during the first appearance Tuesday.

Little River County Sheriff deputies, Ashdown, Ark., police and the South-Central Drug Task Force discovered and seized about $140,000 of drugs. The police stopped a Kia Spectra driven by Johnson in Ashdown.

Officers searched the vehicle and allegedly found more than 240 grams of methamphetamine. Johnson was taken into custody, according to the sheriff’s department report.

Ashdown Police officers contacted the Little River County Sheriff’s Office and the South-Central Drug Task Force. The investigation expanded, and officers secured a search warrant for the apartment where Johnson had stayed.

A search warrant was executed by the law enforcement officers at the apartment and they found an additional 145 grams of crystal methamphetamine and 1,020 grams of liquid methamphetamine allegedly hidden in the apartment.

The total amount of drugs seized in Ashdown was more than 1,400 grams. At a street value of $100 per gram, the cash value surpasses $140,000.

The case is still under investiga-