Dennis Roam of Gamaliel was sentenced to six months in the Baxter County jail and 10 years probation during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Tuesday.
In addition, about $5,500 in restitution was assessed in the case.
The state amended the original charges the 49-year-old Roam faced, and he pled guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia as well as to participating in a vending machine break-in at Plumlee Tire along U.S. 62 West in early January last year.
14th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney David Ethredge told Judge Gordon Webb the state had made the decision to reduce the charges against Roam based on statements from law enforcement officers. He told the court the underlying body of evidence on which the other — and more serious — charges rested would likely not be strong enough to warrant proceeding to a jury trial.
The drugs and drug paraphernalia were located when a search warrant was served on Roam’s residence along Scout Drive in Gamaliel January 12th last year.
Initially, Roam faced a number of other charges including one stemming from his alleged connection to the mid-January 2017 armed robbery at a Cotter liquor store. A weapon found during the search of Roam’s residence was reported to have been used in the liquor store robbery.
Two other people — Alexandria Rodriguez and Joshua Cooper — were also arrested and charged with the liquor store robbery and with breaking into vending machines in various parts of the county, including the one at Plumlee Tire.
Rodriguez told police she drove Cooper and Roam to the tire business on U.S. Highway 62 West in Gassville where a vending machines was robbed.
Roam admitted to investigators he had gone with Cooper and Rodriguez to the tire store in order to “show Cooper how to break into the machine”. He has steadfastly denied he was involved with the pair in any other crimes, including the armed robbery at the Cotter liquor store.
Cooper entered a guilty plea to charges stemming from the liquor store robbery and to breaking into several vending machines in the area in Baxter County Circuit Court in August last year and was given a 20-year prison sentence. He is currently an inmate at the Tucker Unit of the state prison system.
During his sentencing, Cooper admitted he was the person who robbed the liquor store at gunpoint.
Cases against Rodriguez are still active.
Roam was booked into the Baxter County jail just before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to begin serving his six month sentence.
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