David Wayne Taylor of Mountain Home entered a not guilty plea to a string of drug charges during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.
The investigation leading to the 22-year-old Taylor's arrest began on January 17th when Mountain Home Police stopped a vehicle on a traffic violation at the intersection of Dyer and 2nd Street.
The officer reported the strong odor of marijuana coming from the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and after speaking to the occupants, they produced a clear plastic bag containing approximately one-half pound of marijuana.
The vehicle's occupants alleged they had purchased the drug from Taylor and it was agreed that they would work with police and attempt to make a controlled buy from Taylor at a later date.
A buy was arranged and took place on January 18th during which one ounce of marijuana was purchased. Taylor allegedly told the confidential informant that he was expecting another shipment the following day and would be willing to sell quarter pound lots of marijuana for $800.
Officers set up surveillance on the apartment where Taylor was reported living and spotted Kevin Quinton paying a visit to the apartment. When Quinton left, he was stopped by an Arkansas State Trooper at the intersection of U.S. Highway 62 and Bomber Boulevard on a traffic infraction. During the stop, Quinton was found to have six bags containing a green vegetable substance.
Quinton has been charged with possessing marijuana. He entered a not guilty plea to the charge in Circuit Court January 26th and is due to reappear in court February 23rd.
Taylor told investigators that he had "fronted" the marijuana to Quinton for Quinton to sell and then repay Taylor.
Officers executed a search warrant on Taylor's apartment and the search turned up a video surveillance system, smoking devices with suspected narcotics residue, items used in packaging narcotics for sale and a large gun safe. A K-9 was brought to the apartment and alerted on the safe. When it was opened, it was found to house containers of a green vegetable substance, smoking devices and other items allegedly used in the distribution of narcotics.
Taylor was not at the apartment at the time of the search. A be-on-the-lookout bulletin was issued and he was picked up only a short time after the notice was issued in Boone County driving a black 2007 BMW.
According to court records, Taylor admitted to officers that he had sold marijuana on a number of occasions. He told investigators that he had been unemployed since 2016 and had made his living selling the drug in the Mountain Home area.
Taylor was ordered to reappear in Circuit Court in late April.
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