According to court info, an agent with the 16th Judicial District Drug Task Force busted a Mountain Home man late last Wednesday night on charges of selling meth and possessing illegal narcotics.
The Stone County Circuit Court information said Drug Task Force Agent Geoffrey T. Watts made a traffic stop on a vehicle that was weaving back and forth across the centerline of Highway 5. Both men in the vehicle were found not to have valid driver’s licenses, and both appeared very nervous to agent Watts, the information said.
Through a computer check, Watts learned the passenger, Robert William Martinell (pictured), 36, was under active parole supervision and also had a search waiver on file. The vehicle’s driver was identified in the court information as Blake Possehl.
The court documents said that during Agent Watts’ investigation and search, he found: one bag of meth recovered from the floorboard of the vehicle; a small baggie containing meth, apparently dropped by Martinell at the front of the vehicle when Watts was detaining the two; another small baggie containing a smaller amount of meth; a set of digital scales; a glass smoking device; and a prescription bottle with a female’s name on it which contained a number of illegal narcotic pills.
During an interview the next day, Watts noted in the court info that Martinell waived his Miranda rights and talked with him.
Martinell told Watts he hired Possehl to drive him to Stone County to purchase the meth and go back to Mountain Home, according to the court documents. Martinell also said in the court information that he was planning on dealing the meth to narcotic associates in Baxter County and admitted that he deals to “between 5-6 people.”
Martinell said in the probable cause affdavit that he had made “approximately 4-6 trips” to the area to purchase meth. He also said he did not use meth, but sells it to supplement his income. Yet in another place in the court interview, Martinell said he has been using meth and has done so for about 10 years.
Martinell is in custody and charged with five drug-related felonies, including possession of meth to sell or deliver and felony tampering with physical evidence. He is also being charged as a habitual offender. His bond has been set at $100,000.
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