Andrea Packer's name often floated through morning chit chat at Sheridan diners.
Packer's family lived in Sheridan for decades. Her grandfather, Dr. Faber H. Carter, was a World War II veteran, a prominent doctor in the town and a founding member of the Grant County Industrial Development Corporation, which became – and still is – an influential entity in the region. Her mother, who passed away in 2022, was also well known in Sheridan.
Packer, too, lives in Sheridan in a brick home with a bay window and intricate wrought iron columns. That house sits near Sheridan's courthouse square, a stone's throw from the Grant County Annex Building where several county offices are located, and less than 1,000 feet from Landmark Baptist Church.
Packer was arrested in early March for dealing drugs from that very house.
She was charged with 2 counts of delivery of methamphetamine, a Class B felony; 1 count of delivery of methamphetamine, a Class C felony; 1 count of delivery of Oxycodone, a Class B felony; 1 count of delivery of Alprazolam, a Class D Felony; 1 count of maintaining drug premises, a Class B felony; 4 counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, a class D felony; and sentencing enhancement for proximity to a church applicable to Counts 1-5.
On Thursday in Grant County Circuit Court, a jury was selected to hear the state's case against Packer, 48, before Circuit Judge Stephen Shirron. Packer was represented by David Cannon, a Little Rock attorney, and Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Jeff Weber and Jerry Davis, represented the state of Arkansas.
Packer, dressed in all black including black flats with a bold modern silver necklace, sat by Cannon in front of Shirron. Several supporters sat behind her in the courtroom.
Weber presented the state's case to the jurors, reciting the 10 counts. He told them that they would hear from several witnesses including Matt Smith, an agent from Group Six, "a multi-jurisdictional drug task force, the 9th Eastern Judicial District Group 6 Narcotics Enforcement Unit includes county and municipal law enforcement departments in Grant, Clark, and Hot Spring counties."
The jury would also hear from a confidential informant who bought drugs from Packer on four separate occasions from September 2024 until December 31, 2024.
The jurors would also see videos of the drug deals, recorded by the confidential informant.
"I want you to see how a drug deal goes down in real life," Weber said.
Weber wove a tale of drug-dealing intrigue and asked the jury to find Packer guilty of all 10 counts.
Cannon told the jury he wasn't going to tell the jurors what to think. He asked them to listen and weigh the evidence, pay close attention and be fair.
The First Witness
Agent Smith of Group 6 took the stand.
He explained how the drug bust was organized with a confidential informant, who made a deal with Group 6.
On Sept. 27, 2024, the informant met Smith who patted him down for drugs and checked his vehicle. He then gave the informant money to buy drugs from Packer. Smith followed the informant to Packer's house. He bought approximately 7 grams of methamphetamine. He then left Packer's house while Smith followed him to a pre-determined meeting place. The informant then handed Smith a cigarette cellophane of a substance that looked like meth. Smith searched the informant and vehicle again for more drugs.
The substance was processed, initialed by Smith, and sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab.
While on the stand, Smith opened up a brown envelope with scissors and pulled out the crystal substance that was sent to the crime lab and showed the jurors.
Smith said the same scenario occurred on Nov. 12, 2024, when Smith met the informant, gave him money to buy drugs and a recording device. The informant left the house with a baggie of a crystal substance believed to be meth, approximately 6.9 grams of meth, gave the alleged drugs to Smith who searched the informant.
Again, on Dec. 30, 2024, Smith met with the informant and the same process occurred. This time, the informant bought the same crystal substance in a plastic cigarette cellophane wrapper along with approximately 10 white pills that was thought to be Oxycodone. Smith showed the jury the white substance and the pills.
The next day, on Dec. 31, 2024, Smith met with the informant for the last time. That time, the informant left with approximately 19 blue pills believed to be Xanax, which Smith showed the jury.
Smith said to determine the distance from Packer's home to Landmark Baptist Church he used three methods – Google maps. a radar gun and rowing measuring wheel.
With Google maps, Smith measured 486 feet, he said, 485 feet with a radar gun and 490 feet with the rowing measuring wheel.
The Cross Examination
Cannon cross-examined Smith, asking how long he had been involved in investigative work. Smith said 18 years.
Continuing, Cannon then asked if Smith ran a background check on his informant. Smith said yes, an NCIC background. Cannon then read a litany of charges by the informant dating back to 1991 that included two bank robberies, involuntary manslaughter and several other crimes.
Cannon asked if Smith knew the real name of the informant who used two names and had allegedly been in the federal witness protection program.
Smith said he used this informant because he was "familiar with the drug game."
Cannon questioned Smith more about the recording device used by the informant and how he conducted the search of his vehicle. Smith checked compartments but not under the hood.
On redirect examination, Weber asked Smith to clarify that no recording device was used in the September drug buy, and Smith said he never checked under the hood of the informant's vehicle.
The Informant Enters The Courtroom
The informant, who appeared fiftyish, wore a sage green hoodie, jeans and reading glasses on top of his shaved head.
His past crimes came to the forefront quickly as Weber questioned him. The informant said he had testified in some RICO cases and listed recent crimes including a theft charge in 2021 in Tennessee and Mississippi in 2022.
In the middle of the testimony, Shirron stopped the questioning and asked if a certain person was in the courtroom. A male stood up. Shirron then told him he was barred from the courthouse for intimidating a participant in the hearing. The man quickly left.
Cannon then swiftly said that the crimes the informant listed had not been given to him by Weber's team. Cannon said that he emailed Weber's office last Wednesday and did not receive all of the information on the informant. Cannon asked the judge to declare a mistrial raising a Brady violation motion.
Weber did not have a clear answer – and it was inaudible from where this reporter sat – about why all the information was not given to Cannon.
Shirron then gave the jury a lunch break. After they left, the attorneys approached the bench. Cannon asked for a vacant office to talk Packer. Shirron left the bench, saying he was going to research.
For nearly an hour, the informant sat in the witness box with no expression. Weber and Davis chatted. Local law enforcement popped into the courtroom.
The air of uncertainty dominated the courtroom.
The Plea Deal
Cannon zoomed into the courtroom a little past noon, stating a plea deal was imminent.
Weber said the state would take the plea.
The parties exited the courtroom to discuss.
Shirron returned to the bench. The plea deal began.
If the jury had found Packer guilty of all 10 counts, she faced 160 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines. Packer is also a habitual offender.
Packer was previously convicted of possession of controlled substance in Grant County in 2017 and possession of a controlled substance in Grant County with a corresponding possession of drug paraphernalia.
On Thursday, Packer pled guilty to all 10 counts.
According to Shirron's judge's note, Packer's "presumptive sentence" was 6-12 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. Packer was sentenced to 20 years each on Counts 1-4; 12 years on Count 5; 15 years on Count 6; 6 years on Counts 7-10. She was issued approximately $2,840 in fines. The sentences were concurrent.
After her sentencing, Cannon waived his mistrial motion.
Packer, visibly upset, was handcuffed in the courtroom and taken by Grant County sheriff deputies to jail to await transfer to the Arkansas Department of Correction.
