Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Pine Bluff trio arrested for possession of marijuana

Three Pine Bluff men have been charged with possession with intent to deliver.

Their arrest stems from a traffic violation on I-30.

According to court records, Kenneth Burris, 26, Rodney Thomas, 26, and Sedrick Pridgeon, 22, were stopped by Arkansas State Police trooper Darren Neal for a traffic violation near the 44 mile marker.

Pridgeon, who was driving, acted nervous, according to reports, when asked to get out of the car. A check showed his driver's license had been suspended.

Neal asked for permission to search the vehicle, but the trio wouldn't allow it. He called Dan Morales, with the Arkansas Highway Police, to bring his K-9 partner, Nathan, to the scene.

The dog hit on the vehicle, according to records, thereby giving the officers probable cause for a search.

Neal and Morales were assisted by ASP trooper Scotty Simmons in the search.

Neal found a black shopping bag containing a black garbage bag in the trunk. The garbage bag had two bundles of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana wrapped in clear plastic.

A red folding stool was also found in the trunk. In a zippered compartment, the officers found two more wrapped bundles of the substance thought to be marijuana.

The three were placed under arrest and taken to the Nevada County Jail, where they were charged with possession of a controlled substance, namely marijuana, with intent to deliver.

This is a class B felony, punishable by a sentence of 5-20 years in prison and a fine no less than $15,000 and no more than $50,000.