Photo: Aaron Tullos
A Cotter man with a string of criminal cases stretching back about 15 years appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.
Thirty-five-year-old Aaron Tullos pled guilty to 10 charges in three open criminal cases and was sentenced to 15 years probation.
The offenses are mainly drug-related, although he was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, resisting arrest and attempting to sneak contraband into the Baxter County Detention Center.
In March the court gave Tullos permission to enter the addiction treatment program at Care Center Ministries where he was reported to be doing well.
The latest arrest for Tullos came on Jan. 25 when a Baxter County deputy sheriff responded to a call of a man apparently passed out in a vehicle and reported to have a handgun in the waistband of his pants. The deputy found Tullos in the backseat of a vehicle parked along Powell Avenue in Cotter. Two relatives of Tullos said he had first been let off at a friend’s house along Melba Street, but the friend called the relatives and reported Tullos was acting “very strange” and had a firearm.
The relatives picked up Tullos and took him back to their residence along Powell Avenue. They attempted to take him out of the vehicle, but Tullos became “verbally violent,” and the pair called the police. After the deputy arrived on scene and made contact with Tullos, he began to actively resist the officer, but was subdued and taken into custody after a Gassville Police officer arrived to assist.
The deputy reported at one point in the tussle, Tullos attempted to reach behind his back where the officer located a small knife in the pockets of Tullos’ pants. The deputy said he took control of the knife and threw it away from the spot where he was attempting to take Tullos into custody.
An unloaded .40-caliber handgun was also taken from Tullos.
Tullos was asked if he had anything illegal on his person and was warned he was going to jail, and if he did have contraband, he was likely to wind up with more charges. Tullos said he didn’t care, according to the deputy.
While Tullos was being processed into the jail, he dropped a small plastic bag containing what appeared to be methamphetamine. The substance weighed 10.7 grams, according to the probable cause affidavit.
The charges filed against Tullos stemming from his latest arrest include being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia and trying to sneak drugs into the jail.
Tullos’ plea also covered charges in cases set up in December 2017 and June 2018. His first criminal case showing up on electronic court records was filed in June 2003.
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