State prosecutors add charges against Crawford

 Daphne Ann Crawford
Daphne Ann Crawford

FAYETTEVILLE -- A woman who police said threatened someone online following a verbal altercation at a Prairie Grove restaurant was arraigned on three more misdemeanor charges in Washington County Circuit Court on Friday.

Daphne Ann Crawford, 29, pleaded not guilty to possession of clonazepam, possession of marijuana and endangering the welfare of a minor. The endangering charge is related to the clonazepam tablets and a gun being within reach of Crawford's young child in a motel room. She was given an an initial court date of Aug. 23.

Crawford earlier was indicted on federal charges of using the Internet to transmit a message May 24 threatening to injure another person with a firearm. Use of the Internet is considered interstate commerce.

Crawford also is charged with felony terroristic threatening in Washington County Circuit Court. She has pleaded not guilty.

The verbal altercation was between Crawford, her husband and staff happened at Mel's Diner, according to a preliminary arrest report. A customer posted a comment on Facebook about the incident.

Crawford responded online and said her husband would shoot the customer and his or her family, according to court documents. Crawford sent the person a photo of her husband dressed in Middle Eastern attire holding an assault rifle. Both Crawfords claim they are Muslim converts.

Crawford, also known as Daphne Ridenour and Umm Ammara Khalid, is being held at the Washington County Detention Center.

Daphne and Alan Lewis Crawford Jr., both of whom list an address in Muldrow, Okla., were arrested early June 18 by Fayetteville police and the FBI in connection with simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing and endangering the welfare of a minor, according to a preliminary arrest report.

Officers found three AR-15 rifles, a 12-gauge shotgun, six handguns and roughly 2,000 rounds of ammunition, including 721 rounds for the AR-15 rifles, in the Crawfords' room at Value Place motel, according to the report.

The search also found clonazepam pills and THC wax, the report said. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana. Clonazepam is used as an anti-anxiety medicine.

Alan Crawford, 28, is being held at the detention center with no bond set and a federal hold. Alan Crawford also is known as Omar Usman Khalid. He is charged in state court with possession of clonazepam, possession of marijuana and endangering the welfare of a minor.

The couple has ties to Arkansas, Oklahoma, Maryland and North Africa and are considered to be a flight risk and a danger to the public, according to authorities.

NW News on 07/23/2016

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