Employee Admits Theft
FAYETTEVILLE — An Elkins woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing more than $40,000 from the grocery store where she worked.
Jamie Deann Pelfrey, 36, admitted in Washington County Circuit Court to stealing the money from the Harp’s store in Elkins.
Pelfrey was sentenced to 10 years probation, 364 days at a regional punishment facility and was ordered to pay back $44,900.
Man Gets 50 Years For Thefts
FAYETTEVILLE — A Springdale man pleaded guilty in Washington County Circuit Court to his role in a series of burglaries.
Christopher Cruse, 35, pleaded guilty to accomplice to residential burglary, accomplice to theft, accomplice to theft by receiving and fraudulent use of a credit card.
Cruse, who has four prior felony and several misdemeanor convictions, was sentenced to 50 years at the Arkansas Department of Correction with 25 years suspended.
Because of the number of prior convictions, Cruse is considered a super habitual offender, said Denis Dean, deputy Washington County prosecuting attorney. The designation means Cruse will spend more time in prison before being eligible for parole.
Dean said police found stolen property from five burglaries at Cruse’s residence.
Cruse’s co-defendant, Rikki Stucken, 26, has an Aug. 30 trial date.
Two Plead To Dealing Meth
FAYETTEVILLE — A Bentonville pair pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to distributing methamphetamine.
Juan B. Rodriguez, 25, and Chelsea Y. Mahone, 26, pleaded guilty to one count each of distributing methamphetamine in plea bargain with prosecutors. A possession charge and a charge of maintaining a house for the purpose of dealing drugs were dropped as part of the agreement.
A state parole officer who was supervising Rodriguez and Mahone conducted a search of their residence in January and found large amounts of methamphetamine in a kitchen cabinet, a bedroom closet and under the kitchen sink. He also found scales, baggies, a drug ledger and $1,900 in cash.
Police found more than 600 grams of suspected methamphetamine that, when tested at a lab, contained almost 300 grams of actual methamphetamine.
Rodriguez and Mahone, who will be sentenced at a later date, face up to 40 years in federal prison, with a 10-year minimum term, and fines of up to $2 million.