Arkansas agencies credited in helping with $68K theft investigation

Randolph County, Arkansas – It has been reported that two law enforcement agencies in Arkansas assisted an Indiana police agency in resolving a theft investigation.

Randolph County Sheriff Kevin Bell reports that Carmel Police Chief Drake Sterling thanked his department and Arkansas State Police Troop B and C for their assistance in the investigation in a letter that he received on Wednesday, September 18.

The letter claimed that a Carmel business experienced a burglary on May 16 at around 3:28 a.m. After obtaining a description of the suspected car, police discovered it was driving on Arkansas’s Highway 67.

“A Randolph County dispatch center was contacted by a Carmel detective who asked them to try to find and stop the suspicious vehicle,” Chief Sterling stated.

Carmel police soon found out that an Arkansas State trooper had pulled over the car for speeding and started a traffic stop. Five people were taken into custody when the officer noticed the strong smell of marijuana when they got close.

“Approximately two pounds of marijuana along with numerous large bags of merchandise were discovered during a search of the vehicle,” Chief Sterling stated. The goods were contained in vacuum-sealed bags.

The letter continues by stating that Carmel investigators received photos of the items and verified that they were taken during a nighttime break-in. That led to the occupants’ arrest.

Chief Sterling stated that more than $68,000 worth of stolen goods were found inside the car.

Chief Sterling thanked all parties for their assistance with the inquiry at the letter’s conclusion.

“We probably would not have been able to recover the stolen property without the cooperation from other law enforcement agencies,” he added, adding that “this was a very fluid investigation.”

In a post on social media, Bell said that the letter commends the cops working on the inquiry and highlights “the value of real-time license plate readers that are in use in Pocahontas.”