A Lakeview man, who was released from prison March 19 last year and found himself back in trouble just 24 weeks later, has been declared a fugitive.
Fifty-one-year-old Johnny Howard Gordey was set to show up during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday to take a plea in his case, but failed to appear.
Gordey’s attorney, Ben Burnett, said he had been told his client would be in court, but his estimated time of arrival kept changing.
Burnett finally told the court, “we have been here three times to take this plea, but right now I can’t tell the court where (Gordey) is.”
A failure to appear warrant was issued.
Gordey was arrested September 2 last year after information was developed that there was alleged drug activity going on at his resident along Willingham Road.
Gordey was sentenced to 12 years in prison in May 2017 on charges of selling methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with law enforcement.
He was released from prison after serving less than three years of his sentence. The early release was made under provisions of the Emergency Powers Act that was passed to relieve overcrowding in the chronically overcrowded state prison system.
According to the probable cause affidavit in his newest case, officers went to the camper trailer where Gordey lived to investigate the information concerning alleged drug activity.
Because he was on parole, Gordey had signed a waiver allowing warrantless searches of his person and property.
Officers reported that when they knocked, they could hear movement in the camper-trailer. It took Gordey several minutes to answer the door.
Gordey was found to have hidden a glass smoking pipe in his pants. The pipe was alleged to contain methamphetamine residue.
There were a number of small plastic bags on a table, described as the type used to package and sell methamphetamine. A small quantity of a substance field-testing positive for both methamphetamine and fentanyl was found inside the bathroom.
According to court records, Gordey posted a $7,500 bond on Sept. 10 last year.
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