It's Friday! We planned to write another story today, but one of us is traveling and the other is in deep on a big project. So you get the Nutshell!
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Cyber Tips Lead To The Separate Arrests Of Two Men on CSAM Charges
On Thursday, October 24, 2024, at around 6:55 a.m., Special Agents with the Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, in coordination with the Texarkana (Arkansas) Police Department, executed a search warrant in the 2100 block of Pinson Drive in Texarkana, Ark.
The investigation began after multiple cyber tips were reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) from the online messaging applications Google, Kik, and Snapchat.
Lewis Northcutt, 27, of Texarkana, was arrested for 30 counts of Possession of Matter Depicting Sexually Explicit Conduct Involving a Child (CSAM).
Northcutt was transported and booked into the Miller County Detention Center on a $150,000 bond.
On Friday, October 25, 2024, ASP ICAC Task Force agents, with support from the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, executed an arrest and search warrant in Hensley following a cyber tip from NCMEC. The tip was related to activity on a social media platform.
Agents arrested Chris Patton, 47, of Hensley, for five counts of possession of CSAM.
Patton was transported to the Saline County Detention Center, where he is awaiting his first appearance.
Let’s talk about Saturday for a minute!
Check out the Grant County Fall Carnival in Sheridan starting at 4 p.m. Saturday.
“The Grant County Fall Carnival is rooted in the traditions of the Red Ribbon Carnival of years past. Providing a safe, fun environment for the youth in the spirit of a drug-free community initiative. We invite businesses and organizations of Grant County to come together and join us for a night to embrace the excitement of what only a community united can provide! Event powered by Kick Start Sheridan, Inc.”
Speaking of Halloween, Rebekah Hall with U of A System Division of Agriculture wrote some tips for safe trick-or-treating and candy consumption this Halloween. We received those Friday.
Fast Facts:
· Always accompany young children when trick-or-treating at night
· For older kids, ensure they minimize distractions while walking and stay in well-lit areas
· Inspect children’s candy; for children with food allergies, include them in Halloween fun
Quad Whitson, extension culinary nutrition program associate for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said it’s critical for parents to always accompany young children during trick-or-treating.
“If trick-or-treating at night, stay close and always keep a watchful eye on them,” Whitson said. “Some Halloween activities are offered earlier throughout the day at churches, local businesses, community centers, schools or “trunk-or-treat” events in parking lots. Attending these types of events can be safer, and this also allows your child to stick to their regular bedtime.”
For older children who have been given permission to trick-or-treat with their friends, Whitson said parents should establish and review an acceptable and safe route for them to follow.
“Emphasize staying together as a group and help brainstorm ideas to ensure everyone makes it home safely by a predetermined time,” he said.
Parents should also discuss the importance of minimizing distractions while walking, especially for children with access to electronic devices.
“Staying on well-lit streets and utilizing sidewalks and established crosswalks can reduce the risk of unfortunate vehicular accidents,” Whitson said. “Motorists often have trouble seeing children, especially if their costume colors don’t stand out and blend in with the surrounding environment. Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes for better visibility.”
Whitson said parents should also keep the following practices in mind:
· Remind children never to enter a stranger’s house or receive a ride home from a person or people they do not know.
· Before letting children eat any candy, sort and check them to ensure they have not been tampered with. Closely examine all treats and throw away anything unwrapped, spoiled or suspicious. If in doubt, throw it out!
· Depending on a child’s age, some treats can be a choking hazard. Babies and toddlers should not have any hard candy, popcorn, gum, small candy, or anything with nuts or seeds.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission took time at its regularly scheduled October meeting today to praise the hard work and dedication of three of its employees with the announcement of the agency’s 2025 Campbell Award winners.
AGFC Director Austin Booth announced Allison Asher, Steven Burgess and Michelle Furr as this year’s recipients of the award, named after former Commissioner John C. Campbell Jr. and his father J.C. Campbell, an avid outdoorsman. The award recognizes three AGFC employees for their leadership, spirit and community service.
Bryant Cordell Hart, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence Friday, which was handed down on Thursday, October 24, 2024, by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
On August 8, 2022, Hart, 38, of North Little Rock, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Hart to four years supervised release. Hart was indicted on December 8, 2021, on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
An investigation revealed that on June 7, 2021, officers from the Little Rock Police Department conducted a traffic stop. During the stop, officers located a Glock, model 23, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol wedged between the driver’s seat and the center console of the vehicle Hart was driving. Additionally, officers located marijuana, two digital scales, and a glass pipe in the center console. During a search of the vehicle’s trunk, officers recovered an extended Glock magazine loaded with ammunition that functioned with the firearm found in Hart’s possession.
Hart is classified as an armed career criminal offender due to his criminal history that includes multiple convictions for attempted delivery of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of cocaine. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Little Rock Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Fields.
James Kasmire, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence Friday, which was handed down today United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
On January 4, 2023, Kasmire, 46, of Little Rock, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Kasmire to three years supervised release. Kasmire was indicted on October 4, 2022, in a superseding indicting on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
An investigation revealed that on October 20, 2020, officers from the Sherwood Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Jacksonville Cutoff Road. During the stop, officers detected the odor of marijuana and observed several open bottles of alcohol in the vehicle. Officers observed the passenger, Kasmire, who admitted there was marijuana in the vehicle, move his left hand near his seatbelt buckle. For the safety of the officers, he was then asked to step out of the vehicle. While conducting a search of Kasmire, officers located a 9mm Luger ammunition round in his pants pocket that he admitted belonged to him.
During a search of the vehicle, officers located in the front passenger seat a bag containing methamphetamine and over 13 grams of marijuana. In between the seatbelt buckle and center console, officers located a Star, Bonifacio Echevarria S.A. model 30M1, PPU 9mm Parabellum caliber firearm.
Kasmire is classified as an armed career criminal offender due to his criminal history that includes violent and drug-trafficking offenses, including multiple convictions for delivery of cocaine, delivery of marijuana, possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, conspiracy to deliver cocaine, possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, aggravated assault, domestic battery third degree, possession of Xanax, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of Hydrocodone, and possession of firearms by certain persons. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Sherwood Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Peters.
Remember, Today In A Nutshell publishes Monday through Friday! That doesn't mean the Reckoning stops, though! We never stop.
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Have a good weekend!
I’m looking forward to collecting the Dad Tax.