by KENNETH FRY, Press Argus-Courier Editor Wednesday, May 7, 2008 9:53 AM CDT
A California man and woman were sentenced to 30 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction after pleading guilty to drug charges on Monday in Crawford County Circuit Court.
Isidono Ruiz Quinonez, 55, and Diane Marie Quinonez, 49, both of Bakersfield, Calif., were charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Judge Gary R. Cottrell suspended 10 years of Isidono Quinonez's prison sentence and 15 years of the sentence given Diana Quinonez.
The couple was arrested Dec. 17 after Arkansas State Police Trooper Olen Craig stopped an eastbound vehicle on Interstate 40 driven by Isidono Quinonez for hitting the shoulder line and changing speeds from 40 to 70 mph.
Following an alert by a drug dog, Craig found about 375 pounds of suspected marijuana in the vehicle.
Alfonso Cuevas-Carrion, 32, of Cerro Mission, N.M., also pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia and was sentenced to 30 years in prison with 18 years suspended.
Carrion was arrested Nov. 17 after ASP Sgt. Stephen Davis stopped a motorhome which was driving onto the shoulder of I-40. During a search of the vehicle, authorities found 37 bundles of compressed marijuana hidden in the cargo area under a bed and in a closet. The total weight was 400 pounds.
Also on Monday:
Aaron Little, 28, of Judsonia, Ark., pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia and had a five-year prison sentence suspended on the condition he spend 120 days at a regional correctional facility where he is to undergo drug treatment. He must pay a $125 drug task force fee. Little was arrested Oct. 2 after he was stopped by a Van Buren police officer on Interstate 40 for no license plate.
Gary Wayne Dauzat, 28, of Alma pleaded guilty to breaking or entering and theft of property and had a three-year prison sentence suspended on the condition he pay a $1,500 fine, $170 court costs and $250 for DNA sampling. Dauzat was accused of taking a CD player from a vehicle on Oct. 12.
Clifton Jerome Dutton, 36, of Los Angeles pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia and had a five-year prison sentence suspended on the condition he pay a $2,500 fine, $170 court costs, $125 drug task force fee and $250 for DNA sampling. Dutton was arrested Nov. 8 after a traffic stop on I-40. Following an alert by a drug dog, an ASP trooper found 75 grams of marijuana in a plastic bag.
Robert Willis, 40, of Los Angeles pleaded guilty to failure to appear and had a three-year prison sentence suspended on the condition he pay a $1,000 fine, $170 court costs and $250 for DNA sampling. Willis did not appear in court on April 8 for a plea or trial request on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. Those charges were dropped Monday.
On April 30:
Andrew Nathaniel Tice, 23, of Van Buren pleaded guilty to contempt, alleging he failed to report to probation as part of a July 15 conviction for battery in the third degree and was arrested March 17 for leaving the scene of an accident, second offense driving while intoxicated and domestic battery in the third degree. Tice was sentence to 90 days in the detention center with credit for 40 days served. The jail sentence will satisfy fines and court costs.
On April 28:
Racquel Lynn Horton, 30, of Van Buren pleaded guilty to attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud and had a five-year prison sentence suspended on the condition she complete drug treatment and pay $250 for DNA sampling. Fines and court costs were waived. Horton allegedly reported to police her prescription for hydrocdone was stolen from her car, then attempted to get it refilled.
