By Betsy Turner

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Three people accused of being at home while methamphetamine was being manufactured there pleaded guilty to drug charges Wednesday in Crawford County Circuit Court.

James Mullis, 29, Brenda Mullis, 47, and Mark Preston McDaniel, 21, all of Rudy, appeared before Circuit Judge Mike Medlock at the plea hearing. James Mullis was charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Brenda Mullis was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

McDaniel was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and in a separate case pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine.

Medlock sentenced James Mullis to six years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. He was also given a 10-year suspended sentence to run concurrently with the prison sentence. Medlock authorized a boot camp recommendation for him.

Brenda Mullis was ordered to serve 120 days in the regional correction facility plus a six-year suspended sentence. McDaniel was sentenced to 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction plus a 10-year suspended sentence.

Medlock authorized a $1,000 reporting bond for each of the defendants.

According to prosecuting attorney files, law enforcement authorities received information on April 1 from a confidential informant that methamphetamine was being manufactured at James Mullis’ residence on 11129 Ozark Trail in Rudy. A search warrant was executed May 1 at the residence. All three defendants were inside the house along with five minor children. Police found numerous items and chemicals used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. A brass pipe with burnt residue, methamphetamine, marijuana and other items of drug paraphernalia were found in the home.

McDaniel also was charged in connection with a Feb. 22, 2005, incident at the Van Buren Wal-Mart. McDaniel was accused of stealing lug nuts from the store and place under arrest by police. After he was searched, 2.5 grams of methamphetamine were found on him.

Also Wednesday, a Berryville woman originally charged with filing a false report of a crime pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing governmental operations. Christy McCaila Huggins, 31, of Berryville was sentenced to a one-year suspended jail sentence. Medlock ordered that she pay $1,500 in restitution for police and investigative work related to the case. She was also ordered to pay a $750 fine and $150 in court costs.

Police reports state the her fiance reported Sept. 25 that Huggins had gone missing while they were inside the Van Buren Wal-Mart. Huggins later called her fiance and said that she was being held against her will at an unknown residence. Police later located Huggins at a Berryville home but she said she was there of her own free will.

Huggins filed a police report and claimed she had been kidnapped at the Arkansas State Police headquarters in Fort Smith on Sept. 28. Huggins made inconsistent statements to police and told police she had been drugged and taken from the Wal-Mart. Video surveillance tapes showed Huggins left the Wal-Mart willingly. She later told police that she had given false statements about the events of that day.

Other pleas heard Wednesday were:

w Martin Jones Jr., 50, of Chester pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm. Jones was sentenced to one year in the Arkansas Department of Correction plus five years suspended. A $1,500 reporting bond was authorized for Jones. He was arrested Aug. 7 after police were called to his residence regarding a compliant that Jones was drunk and shoot dogs. Jones, a convicted felon, denied shooting the dogs but said he did have a firearm.

w Steven Cypert, 39, of Van Buren pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and driving while intoxicated. He was given a three-year suspended sentence and ordered to complete 100 days of community service. Medlock ordered that he pay $350 court costs and a $400 fine.

Cypert’s driver’s license was ordered to be suspended for six months. He was given credit for serving one day in jail. Cypert was arrested April 23 after failing field sobriety tests during a traffic stop. Police found several small bags of marijuana in Cypert’s vehicle.

Times Record
Fort Smith Arkansas