By KELI JACOBI News-T imes Staff District Judge George Van Hook read the numerous drug-related charges against fi ve Union County defendants who made fi rst appearances in Union County District Court Friday, following a recent undercover narcotics investigation of two separate residences in and near Calion.
Lonnie Lynn Miller, 38, Susan D. Hamaker, 32, Michael and Matthew Stringfellow, both 26, and Ray Reed, 58, were each given cash or corporate surety bonds of $100,000 each, and ordered to report weekly to the Union County Sheriff’s Offi ce.
Van Hook assigned all the defendants to the public defender’s offi ce and ordered each to sign a waiver of extradition. None had posted bond as of Friday afternoon.
Miller, Hamaker and the Stringfellow twins were arrested following a search warrant Thursday at 8154 Calion Highway which revealed several grams of crystal methamphetamine and a truckload of stolen goods, according to Union County Sheriff Ken Jones.
Reed was arrested Thursday following a search warrant at 266 Burns St. in Calion in which investigators allege they found crack cocaine.
Miller, whom the sheriff’s offi ce said has a long string of prior felony charges, told the judge he was no longer on parole from the Arkansas Department of Correction.
"You’re getting too old for this," Van Hook admonished Miller. "You’re going to wake up one day and be 75-yearsold, walking out of prison."
"I know," Miller quietly acknowledged.
Miller and Hamaker were both charged with the delivery of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), for which the penalty is 10 to 40 years in prison and/or a fi ne not to exceed $25,000, if found guilty.
In addition, Miller was charged with maintaining a drug premises, possession of drug paraphernalia, simultaneous possession of drugs and fi rearms, possession of a fi rearm by a certain person and theft by receiving. A heavily tattooed Miller hugged Hamaker before the male defendants were sent to a separate holding cell.
Matthew Stringfellow, whom the sheriff’s offi ce says also has prior felony charges, was charged with delivery of a controlled substance (cocaine), maintaining a drug premises, possession of drug paraphernalia, simultaneous possession of drugs and fi rearms and theft by receiving. Although the sheriff’s offi ce maintained that Michael Stringfellow has no record of prior felonies, he was charged Friday with methamphet amine possession, simultane ous possession of drugs and fi rearms, maintaining a drug premises and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Hamaker admitted to Van Hook on Friday that she was on parole, although it was un clear whether her prior con viction was drug-related.
Reed, who was found at the Burns Street residence in Calion, was charged with two counts of delivery of a controlled substance (crack cocaine), maintaining a drug premises and possession of a controlled substance (crack cocaine) with intent to de liver.