Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gurdon man charged with drug possession

A Gurdon man has been charged with delivery of a controlled substance after officers in Arkadelphia witnessed an alleged drug sale.

According to an affidavit on file in the Clark County Circuit Clerks office, Vance Dale Balch, 26, 293 Lockie Road, was arrested on July 16 and charged with delivery of a controlled substance  crack cocaine, driving without a drivers license and driving with fictitious vehicle tags.

The affidavit, prepared by Brent Whitworth of the Group Six Narcotics Enforcement Unit, states that on July 12, Whitworth met with a confidential informant in Arkadelphia with the intent of setting up a delivery of cocaine. The informant told agents that she knew Balch and that he had previously given her his phone number to call in the even she needed to purchase drugs.

Whitworths affidavit states that the informant agreed to attempt to call Balch while with the agent. An attempt to call the number from a payphone failed as the phone number was no longer in service. The informant reportedly agreed to attempt to find another phone number for Balch and call the agent back when she was able to make the contact.

On July 13, the informant called Whitworth with the new phone number for Balch, according to the affidavit. The informant reportedly spoke with Bakch during the night before and had purchased $5-10 worth of cocaine from him then.

Later in the day, Withworth says he met with the informant and had her attempt to contact Balch, but the calls were unsuccessful.

A successful phone call was made to Balch from the informant on July 16, and police and the informant prepared to make the deal. Before going to meet Balch to purchase the drugs, the informant was taken to the Arkadelphia Police Department where she was searched by a female dispatcher to ensure that she had no other drugs or contraband on her person. An audio and video device was also placed on the informant to record the meeting with Balch.

After getting the informant ready, the affidavit states that she called and set a meeting up with Balch at an Arkadelphia store. She was dropped off near the store by police and was watched from a nearby location throughout the ordeal.

After waiting several minutes, the affidavit states that Balch pulled up and the deal was made. After the informant gave a signal to police that the deal had been made, Arkadelphia police officers standing by in the area made a traffic stop on Balchs vehicle and arrested him.

The informant was transported back the Arkadelphia Police Department where she handed over the drugs that were allegedly purchased from Balch.

The off-white substance that was allegedly sold to the informant by Balch will be sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab to ensure that it is crack cocaine.