Photo: Cody Stradford
A Mountain Home man who has been in and out of trouble with the law since he was 21 years old made an appearance in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.
Thirty-four-year-old Cody Stradford entered a not guilty plea to his newest charges during a previous court session.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed in his latest case, a confidential informant told police he had seen Stradford participating in an alleged hand-to-hand drug transaction. The informant’s call was made March 10. It was also reported that Stradford had stuck a plastic container with a magnet under the rear bumper of a vehicle.
The license plate on the vehicle was checked, and it returned as issued to Stradford.
A Mountain Home Police officer stopped the vehicle shortly after the information was received and located the container holding a plastic bag containing 3.3 grams of a crystalline substance suspected of being methamphetamine.
In addition, a digital scale, a smoking pipe with white residue on it, a used hypodermic needle and 48 pills identified as Xanax were located in the box.
Stradford denied knowledge of the box and the items it contained.
The first of Stradford’s long list of criminal cases was set up in 2005.
During the last 15 years, Stradford’s charges have included possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, being a felon in possession of a firearm, fraudulent use of a credit card, theft of property, battery, impairing the operations of a vital public facility and aggravated assault.
Stradford has had criminal charges filed against him in Baxter and Marion counties.
In addition, Stradford faces charges for non payment of fines, fees and cost ordered by the courts.
Court records show a petition has been filed seeking to imprison Stradford for nonpayment of fines, fees, costs and restitution in six earlier Baxter County cases.
According to the records, Stradford owed almost $30,700, as of March last year, and was in arrears by approximately $15,000. At the time the figures were compiled, Stradford had not made a payment since mid-October 2016.
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