Police Make Pot Arrests At Airport

— A cross-country airplane trip ended Wednesday at the Springdale Municipal Airport when two California men were arrested in connection with possession of marijuana worth an estimated half-million dollars.

Sperling
Sperling

Springdale police arrested Karl Frank Sperling, 35, of 2255 Fickle Hill Road in Arcata, Calif., and Damieon Foster, 36, of 1481 Myrtle Ave. in Eureka, Calif. A federal criminal complaint charging both men with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas.

Foster
Foster

Police found 133 pounds of marijuana in a rented Columbia 400 airplane the men flew from Eureka to Las Vegas, N.M., to Springdale, according to the affidavit filed with the complaint.

The airplane flight was monitored by Homeland Security after it flew without a flight plan and didn’t respond to contact efforts. Homeland Security officers called the Springdale airport and local police after the airplane landed about 10 p.m. Tuesday, according to the affidavit.

Sperling and Foster left the airport to go to a motel when officers arrived. A police dog signaled it could smell drugs from outside the plane, according to the affidavit.

After obtaining a search warrant, the officers found the marijuana in several duffle bags in the passenger compartment. The men, who were under surveillance, returned to the airport at 6 a.m. Wednesday and were arrested, according to the affidavit.

Sperling’s record showed one arrest for possession of 12.5 grams of marijuana, but no convictions. Foster had no criminal record, according to the affidavit.

Foster was released Thursday from the Washington County Detention Center on $10,000 bond. Sperling remained in the Washington County Detention Center on Friday in lieu of $10,000 bond. As a condition of Sperling’s bond, he must allow a search of his residence and 40 acres he owns, according to the bond order.

The airplane was at the Springdale airport Friday. The plane is owned by Precision Flight Aviation of Fall Creek, Ore., according to Federal Aviation Administration records. Local pilots have been contacted about flying the plane back to Oregon, said James Smith, airport facilities manager.

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