Photo: Michael Scudder
A Mountain Home man was arrested in mid-November when one-crime-led-to-another, with 45-year-old Michael Scudder allegedly in the middle of both.
He appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court last week. Arraignment on the new charges against him is set for mid-January.
Scudder was first taken into custody after Baxter County deputies responded to a call Nov. 15 reporting a minivan had been parked for several hours at a location on State Highway 201 North.
The vehicle’s engine was said to be running, and a man was slumped over the steering wheel.
The deputies found Scudder in the van. Scudder, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in July 2017 on drug and weapons charges, was a parolee at the time allowing his person and property to be searched without a warrant. During the search of Scudder’s vehicle, the deputies found a brown powder substance field testing positive for fentynal.
In addition, they found several syringes, a smoking device, a small amount of marijuana and an AR-15-style rifle. According to the probable cause affidavit, Scudder admitted buying the gun, which he said he knew was stolen, for a half-gram of methamphetamine.
As a convicted felon, Scudder is not allowed to be in contact with firearms.
Charges stemming from the initial arrest included simultaneously possessing drugs and firearms, a Class Y felony punishable by 10-to-40-years or life, having drugs and drug paraphernalia, being a felon in possession of a firearm and theft by receiving.
After investigators with the sheriff’s office received information developed during the first arrest, they went to the location where Scudder’s camper trailer was parked.
They were checking into reports received in October and November of propane gas bottles being stolen. The first theft was reported by the owner of a trailer stored at an RV park and the second from a convenience store.
In all, up to nine gas bottles were reported taken.
Investigators found bottles similar to those described by victims of the two thefts inside and outside Scudder’s camper. A female, reported to be Scudder’s girlfriend, handed investigators a bottle from inside the camper that had an infrared heater attached to it.
According to investigative records, Scudder said he “either paid $20 for the bottles, or traded methamphetamine for them.” He alleged he got them from a man he knew only as “Dave,” and generally purchased one or two bottles every other day.
In the arrest stemming from the allegedly stolen propane gas bottles, Scudder is charged with theft of property, breaking or entering and criminal mischief.
He is also charged with violations of his parole and with being a habitual offender.
Scudder has had a number of charges filed against him through the years, including possessing drugs, living in a house without permission, having guns and drugs in his possession at the same time and theft of property.
The first criminal case against Scudder in Baxter County was filed in 2003, according to court records.
He also apparently had a theft of property case opened in Izard County. He pled guilty in 2017. An order to appear and show cause was filed in that case in September, apparently based on a non-payment of fines and fees. A hearing was set for late October, but there is no indication in the record if it was held.
Scudder is being held in the Baxter County jail, with bond set at $25,000.
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