Two people, one a Union County man, are slated for first appearance hearings today in 35th Judicial District Court on numerous drug charges, including possession of more than six pounds of marijuana, and unrelated arrest warrants in Arkansas and Texas.
Tevin N. Smedley, 25, of Huttig, and Olivia N. Lacy, also 25, of Texarkana, were taken into custody Thursday following a traffic stop in which Smedley was driving Lacy’s car.
The arrests led to the seizure of more than six pounds of marijuana, a handgun and drug paraphernalia in Lacy’s car and a room they are believed to have been sharing at a local motel.
An El Dorado officer who was on routine patrol noticed a Cadillac CTS parked squarely in the middle of the parking lot at Flamingo Inn, 420 S. West Ave.
After verifying the license plate number and conducting a status check for the owner’s driver’s license and any arrest warrants, officers learned the registered owner, Lacy, was wanted in Hopkins County, Texas, on a felony warrant for possession of a controlled substance.
A short time later, the vehicle pulled out of the parking lot and headed south before turning west onto West Hillsboro, the officer said.
He said he initiated a traffic stop in the 400 block of West Hillsboro and made contact with Smedley, who was driving the car.
According to a police report, Smedley initially provided a false name and date of birth and was taken into custody for obstruction of governmental operations.
Police then learned Smedley was wanted by the Union County Sheriff’s Office on an arrest warrant for probation revocation on a felony firearms charge.
During a search incident to arrest, officers found a Flamingo Inn room key on Smedley’s person.
Smedley told officers that he was “staying with some girl” at the motel.
When asked, he denied the “girl” was Lacy and provided conflicting statements on Lacy’s whereabouts, police said.
Officers reportedly found 35.9 grams of marijuana inside a duffle bag in the trunk of the car and digital scales inside the pocket of the driver’s door.
As he was being booked into the Union County Jail, Smedley again told officers the “girl” in the room at Flamingo Inn was not Lacy and that they “did not need to go over there.”
Police said Lacy answered the door when they went to the room at Flamingo, and they took her into custody.
Narcotics investigators were summoned to the scene and a search warrant issued for the room.
A search of the room yielded six pounds of marijuana, a 9mm handgun and Lacy’s personal items, including a purse that contained 16 Tramadol pills.
Other items in the room indicated that Smedley and Lacy had been staying in the room for “quite some time,” police said.
In addition to charges stemming from their respective arrest warrants and from Smedlye’s traffic stop, both were arrested for possession with purpose to deliver, possession of drug para-phernalia, simultan-eous possession of drugs and firearms and maintaining a drug premises.
Lacy faces additional charges of possession of a firearm by a certain person and possession of a controlled substance.
Smedley was also cited for driving on a suspended driver’s license.
They are scheduled for first appearance hearings at 10 a.m. today in 35th JDC.
Police said Lacy’s extradition to Texas will be delayed due to her court appearance on the charges she faces in El Dorado.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at tlyons@ eldoradonews.com.