Photo: David Barry Liner
A Baxter County man, 43-year-old David Barry Liner of Mountain Home, has been arrested after allegedly taking possession of a UPS package containing 119 grams of methamphetamine.
Robert Braden, commander of the 14th Judicial District Drug Task Force, says on Tuesday Liner was arrested on a warrant for criminal attempt to deliver methamphetamine after a package being shipped to the Mountain Home man was intercepted by law enforcement on May 20.
A task force K9 alerted to the presence of possible narcotics in the package, and a search warrant was obtained.
Bond on the felony charge of criminal attempt to deliver methamphetamine was set at $75,000.
According to online court documents, as previously reported, on May 19, an investigator with the task force was contacted regarding a suspicious package, with UPS personnel requesting a K9 sniff for narcotics. The package was addressed to a shipping company in Mountain Home, with Liner as the receiver.
A K9 sniff of four packages indicated the odor of narcotics in the suspicious one. A search warrant was obtained for the suspicious package, with the illegal drug found inside.
That afternoon, Liner was reached via telephone, with the Mountain Home man requesting the package be delivered to the Casey’s General Store in Gassville.
The investigator met with Liner and handed him the package containing the narcotics. Liner took possession of the box and placed it in his vehicle.
Liner has been charged with a felony count of possession of methamphetamine with the purpose to deliver. His bond on that charge was set at $25,000.
The investigation was conducted by narcotics officers from the task force, the Mountain Home Police Department (MHPD) and the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office.
The 14th Judicial District Drug Task Force covers Baxter, Boone, Marion and Newton counties in Arkansas and is made up of a commander and two full-time investigators employed solely by the task force and approximately eight officers from supporting agencies. Those supporting agencies are the Baxter, Boone, Marion and Newton County sheriffs’ offices and the Harrison and Mountain Home police departments. Specific, assigned officers from those agencies act as drug task force agents when outside their normal jurisdiction.
In addition, Liner is facing a misdemeanor theft of property charge following an incident Monday.
According to the probable cause affidavit, a MHPD officer was dispatched to a local business for a theft report.
An unknown male reportedly entered the business the prior day and stole a cellphone. Video footage captured the theft, with Liner developed as the suspect.
When officers went to Liner’s residence along South College Street Tuesday, they searched his vehicle. Liner is on felony probation with a search waiver on file.
During a search of his truck, a glass pipe with residue consistent with the use of methamphetamine was allegedly located, along with a container with white powdery residue field testing positive for the illegal substance.
Based on the discovery of the items, Liner is also facing a felony charge of possession of drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine. Bond on the charge was set at $5,000.
Online court records also indicate Liner has an open case from April when he was charged with felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was arrested shortly after midnight on April 2 when a MHPD officer saw him walking on South Street with a backpack. According to the probable cause affidavit, Liner was stopped due to the recent break-ins in that area.
While the officer was speaking with Liner, he noticed the Mountain Home man allegedly toss a glass pipe.
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