Two men, in separate incidents, have been charged in Independence County Circuit Court under the habitual offender law.
In the first case, court documents say Brett Steven Johnson, 51, was discovered early Thursday morning, Aug. 18, in the storage area of a Batesville business. According to the documents, Johnson was discovered hiding under a vehicle in the storage area.
Johnson told Batesville Police in an interview that he had needed a part off of the vehicle in the area to fix his own vehicle, and he was discovered before he could take the part, the court documents said.
When Johnson was taken to jail, a final pat-down by authorities revealed methamphetamine on Johnson’s person, his arrest affidavit said. A check on Johnson through the Arkansas Crime Information Center also found he had been previously convicted of 15 felonies.
As a habitual offender, Johnson is charged with two counts of breaking or entering, one count of theft, and one count of possession of a controlled substance.
His bond was set at $15,000.
In the other case, authorities allege William Lloyd Smart, 52, fled in a vehicle and then on foot from a deputy. He is also charged with being in possession of methamphetamine.
Court documents say Smart, who was wanted on an active felony warrant, was recognized by an Independence County Sheriff’s Deputy on patrol.
When the deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on Smart, he sped away, leading the deputy through various streets and yards in the Newark area, according to the court documents.
Smart’s arrest affidavit said his vehicle then became stuck in a ditch line, and he ran away on foot before he was eventually caught a short time later and taken into custody.
When searched, authorities discovered a plastic bag of a substance that later tested positive as methamphetamine, the affidavit said.
Smart’s criminal record showed he has been charged with more than four felony convictions, and as such, he will also be charged as a habitual offender.
His bond was set at $5,000.
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