Identified as a significant drug maker in the state, a Hector man pleaded guilty Monday to manufacturing methamphetamine at his northern Pope County home.
William R. Wells of 232 Wells Lane was sentenced to serve seven years in prison after pleading guilty to manufacturing a controlled substance, a Class Y felony generally punishable by 10-40 years or life in the Arkansas Department of Correction. He will be required to serve 70 percent of his sentence before he can be considered for parole.
The plea deal was reached between Fifth Judicial District prosecutor David Gibbons and James Dunham, Wells’ court-appointed public defender. Wells’ wife, Jeannie Wells, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of possession of a controlled substance and avoided jail time, instead receiving a probationary sentence as part of the plea arrangement.
Circuit Judge Dennis Sutterfield accepted the deal and handed down the sentences.
Undercover drug agents previously said the husband and wife were in the process of manufacturing the drugs in their home when a search warrant was executed on April 19 of last year. The arrests came a day after officers observed the duo purchasing ingredients used in meth making, according to court documents.
Police also seized four firearms from the residence during the raid. William Wells additionally pleaded guilty to simultaneously possessing drugs and firearms Monday, although his sentence for that offense will run at the same time as his other sentence.
Jack Thorp, a deputy prosecutor responsible for drug cases, said Wells was under investigation by federal, state and local drug agents at the time he was arrested. The arrest was a joint effort between the Arkansas State Police, Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Customs, local drug task force officers and other local law enforcers, he said.
“I think he was one of the biggest meth cooks in the entire state, and probably the biggest in our jurisdiction,” said Thorp, whose office is responsible for prosecuting felony crimes in Pope, Johnson and Franklin counties. “This conviction will go a long way toward cleaning up northern Pope County.”
Wells initially denied manufacturing meth when asked about the charges by Sutterfield Monday during the plea hearing, instead saying, “It looked like I was, according to the evidence, they said,” referring to arresting officers. Dunham, however, pointed out to Sutterfield that officers located and seized “manufactured product” when they executed a search warrant, the immediate result of the meth making.
Wells ultimately agreed that he was found in possession of the substance.
Along with his plea, Wells had asked for his jail sentence to be deferred for two weeks so he could get his affairs in order. Sutterfield declined Wells’ request, however, ordering him to surrender to Pope County authorities. He was free on bond before the plea.
“This is a very serious offense,” Sutterfield said after denying Wells’ request. “The result of this type of activity can devastate lives.”