HS man arrested in drug task force raid; half pound of meth allegedly recovered
Officers with the local drug task force reportedly confiscated a half pound of meth and arrested an alleged drug trafficker after executing a search warrant at around noon Friday.
Ryan Michael Matone, 39, of 3140 Albert Pike, was taken into custody at his residence and charged with delivery of a controlled substance, meth, a felony punishable by up to life in prison.
Matone was being held on zero bond and is set to appear July 16 in Garland County District Court, although he will likely be arraigned before then.
According to a release from Garland County Prosecuting Attorney Michelle Lawrence, who is project director for the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force, officers with the DTF executed the warrant at Matone’s residence, utilizing the Garland County Tactical Response Team to make entry into the home and secure the scene.
Several months prior, investigators had identified Matone as the primary distributor of meth from the residence and over the course of the investigation had made numerous controlled purchases of meth from Matone resulting in a warrant for his arrest.
Matone was taken into custody at the residence without incident and during a search of the property, officers allegedly found 244.5 grams, or about half a pound, of what later tested positive for meth, and numerous items of drug paraphernalia.
Deputy Prosecutor Trent Daniels, who is assigned to the DTF, noted because of the amount of meth recovered, it qualified as drug trafficking, resulting in the class Y felony charge being filed.
The DTF is comprised of officers from the Arkansas State Police, Garland County Sheriff’s Department, Hot Springs Police Department, 18th Judicial District East prosecuting attorney’s office and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations. The Garland County Narcotics Unit also assisted in the investigation and execution of the search warrant.