13,500 ephedrine pills found during arrest | Amphetamines

13,500 ephedrine pills found during arrest

A Mountainburg couple who allegedly possessed more than 13,500 ephedrine pills pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in Crawford County Circuit Court.

Floyd Jones, 46, and Carol Jones, 49, both of Mountainburg are charged with possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to manufacture methamphetamine and obstructing governmental operations.

He also is being held for driving while license suspended, no proof of insurance and left of center.

An incident report by Van Buren police officer Mark McGraw states Jones gave police a false name and presented officers with a fraudulent identification card when he was stopped Dec. 20.

Also in the vehicle, McGraw found a machete, hatchet and knife.

During an inventory search following their arrest, Officer Scotty Wooten discovered three bags in the trunk. One bag contained 732 ephedrine pills and a second contained 12,774 ephedrine pills.

A third contained various drug paraphernalia items, including aluminum foil with residue, spoons, postal scales, funnel, vials, an electric heating element and two books, "The Psicocybin Mushroom Cultivators Bible" and "Herbal Highs, Guide to Illegal Narcotics, Psychedelics and Stimulants."

Judge Gary R. Cottrell appointed the public defender's office to represent the Joneses. He is being held on a parole hold without bond; she was released from the Crawford County Detention Center on a signature bond.

Emily Ashba, 32, of Santa Monica, Calif., pleaded not guilty to possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Ashba was arrested Dec. 18 by Sgt. Jason Aaron of the Arkansas State Police for driving onto the shoulder of Interstate 40. Ashba, who said she was traveling from Utah to Little Rock, appeared nervous, according to the report, and reported she had a medicinal marijuana card and some marijuana cookies in her vehicle.

In searching the vehicle, Aaron found about 50 pounds of marijuana, wrapped in 26 individual packets and stuffed in two locked tool boxes.

Ashba, who is free on $7,500 bond, is represented by Fort Smith Attorney Ron Fields.

Fields also entered not guilty pleas for Aaron Stevenson, 24, of Oklahoma City and Clifton Stevenson, 50, and Portia Reed, 52, of Nashville, Tenn., charged with possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, possession of heroin, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A car driven by Aaron Stevenson was stopped on I-40 on Dec. 24 by ASP Trooper Olen Craig for speeding. A search of the vehicle found three ounces of cocaine, two grams of heroin and two grams of marijuana.

Robert Wilkey, 43, and Viola Wilkey, 58, both of Yuba City, Calif., pleaded not guilty to possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia and simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms.

Fort Smith Attorney Joseph Self entered the pleas and waived formal arraignment for the couple, who are free on signature bonds.

According to reports, the an Arkansas State Police Trooper Chris Waters stopped the Wilkeys on Arkansas 59 after noticing an expired Tennessee license plate on their recreational vehicle.

A search of the vehicle turned up about four pounds of marijuana concealed beneath a bed in the RV. Also in the vehicle was a safe containing more than $17,000 in cash, three pistols and three long guns.

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