Undercover sting leads to arrest of two on felony drug charges

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Two Lakeview residents were arrested Monday on felony drug charges after an undercover investigation. 38-year-old Jennifer Dawn Elliot and 40-year-old Dustin Neal Brown were both charged with felony delivery of meth or cocaine and parole violations. Elliot is being held in the Baxter County Jail on a $10,000 bond and Brown on a $10,685 bond. Both made first appearances in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday and pled not guilty to the charges.

According to the arrest affidavit, on April fifth a confidential informant allegedly purchased approximately 2.3 grams of a substance, which field-tested positive for methamphetamine, from Elliot at her residence in the Lakeshore Apartments in Lakeview.

Investigators learned Elliot allegedly offered to sell the informant two more grams of meth, but would have to leave to get it. Later that day the informant came back to Elliot’s residence wearing a wire. Investigators listening in heard a voice, apparently that of Brown, saying he had spotted a Sheriff’s vehicle. Shortly afterward Brown drove off and moments came back, got out of his car and approached the officers asking them why the were sending the informant to Elliot’s residence to purchase drugs. Officers realized their informant had been compromised and texted the individual to get out of the apartment.

While officers were debriefing the informant behind the Mountain Home Police Station, they noticed Elliot and Brown, in the vehicle Brown was driving before, pulling in behind the police station as well. Once Brown realized the officers noticed him he left the area and officers pursued. After several miles Brown pulled his vehicle over and both Brown and Elliot were taken into custody without incident.

Both had a warrantless search waiver on file. A subsequent search of the Elliot residence turned up an estimated quarter-gram of meth along with digital scales and other paraphernalia. Officers also discovered a phone with video of the confidential informant leading them to believe Elliot and Brown may have planned to use the video later in retaliation.




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