Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Crack Dealer Earns 30 Year Prison Term; Appeal Filed In Case

A Prescott man was sentenced to 30 years in prison on a drug charge.

This was the result of a trial in the Nevada County circuit court Feb. 21, as the jury deliberated less than two hours before rendering a verdict of guilty.

According to the case file at the Nevada County Courthouse, O.C. Willingham, 51, of Prescott, had been arrested and charged with delivery of a controlled substance, namely crack cocaine, a schedule III narcotic under Arkansas law.

The drug was sold to an informant with the South Central Drug Task Force on Aug. 25, 1995.

The case file showed task force officers searched the informant before sending him into Willingham's home on Moncrief Street.

After making sure the informant was "clean," had no drugs on him, he was wired for sound and given $50, two $20s and a $10, before being sent into the house.

The conversation between Willingham and the informant was recorded by officers with the task force.

When the informant asked if Willingham had any crack, he said yes. Willingham, the file states, then sold the drug to the informant for $50.

Officers watched their informant leave the Willingham home. He gave the officers two off-white colored rock- like substances which turned out to be crack cocaine.

At this time officers raided Willingham's residence and arrested him for delivery of a controlled substance.

Willingham waived a formal arraignment in his case through his attorney, Honey and Honey.

The jury was selected Feb. 20, with the trial held and decided on Feb. 21. The jury of four women and eight men took 90 minutes to find Willingham guilty of delivery of a controlled substance.

He was sentenced to 30 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction for the crime by 8th Judicial District Circuit Judge Joe Griffin.

Delivery of a controlled substance is a class Y felony in Arkansas. This is punishable by 10 to 40 years or life in prison, and a fine not to exceed $25,000.

No fine was levied in the Willingham case.

However, on Feb. 28, Willingham's attorneys filed a notice of appeal for the case to be heard in the Arkansas Supreme Court.

No determination has been rendered in the appeal as yet.