Jeremi Witt
A tip that a man on parole was allegedly using and selling methamphetamine led police to a residence along Dixie Street in Mountain Home in late October last year and resulted in two arrests.
One of the residents in the home was a parolee – 41-year-old Jeremi Witt. Another was a woman identified as his girlfriend, 42-year-old Michelle Zbranek.
Witt appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday, entered a guilty plea to his charges and was sentenced to 10 years probation. He will also be entering an addiction treatment program operated by Care Center Ministries
Both Witt and Zbranek faced a number of drug-related charges, including possession of methamphetamine and paraphernalia used to ingest the drug.
During the October 2020 search, officers entered a room said to be occupied by Witt and Zbranek. They reported finding marijuana, used syringes, a pipe to smoke methamphetamine and two sets of digital scales.
Zbranek has another open felony drug case. She and Witt were stopped just after 11 p.m. Jul. 17 last year by a Baxter County deputy sheriff.
The truck begin driven by Zbranek was reported to have no taillights.
During the stop, it was determined Zbranek’s driver’s license was suspended for driving while intoxicated.
Witt, who was a passenger and registered owner of the truck, was also arrested after he was found to have an active warrant.
When the vehicle was searched, methamphetamine and items of paraphernalia to use the drug, including a used syringe and glass smoking pipe, were found.
In addition Suboxone strips were located.
Zbranek told investigators all of the illegal items belonged to her and that Witt knew nothing about them. Electronic court records do not indicate he picked up new charges in the July incident.
A trial date of August 2 is now set for both of Zbranek’s cases.
At one point, Witt was placed in the 14th Judicial District Drug Court Program. He was put on probation for ten years with the condition that he successfully complete the program.
He did get through an in-patient treatment program at the Wilbur D. Mills Center. He received an early release from Wilbur Mills in late August 2017.
But, Witt ran into trouble two months after his release when tests showed he had used methamphetamine. He was also accused of violating his probation in other way, including not reporting for group counseling at Drug Court, failing to report for a drug test and moving without informing his supervising officer.
He washed out of drug court and was sent to prison for seven years.
According to electronic records, Witt was released after serving 10 months and 1 day of his sentence under provisions of the Emergency Powers Act, passed to relieve overcrowding in the state’s prison system.
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