Joseph Allen Bermingham

     A Cotter man, 42 year old JOSEPH ALLEN BERMINGHAM, was arrested Wednesday, June 6th, when officers from several agencies conducted a parole compliance check on BERMINGHAM at a house on Whitmill Ave. in Cotter.

     When officers arrived at the residence, they saw BERMINGHAM outside burning a brush pile.  Nearby was a 7mm Weatherby hunting rifle.  BERMINGHAM, a felon prohibited from possessing firearms, told officers he had been sighting in the rifle.

    During a subsequent search of the house, officers found approximately 2 grams of methamphetamine as well as some suboxone, morphine sulfate, and diazepam in BERMINGHAM’S bedroom.  The pills were packaged in a small plastic baggies commonly associated with the unlawful dispensing of controlled substance. 

     When searching a backpack that BERMINGHAM had been observed in possession of earlier in the day, officers found approximately $4,240.  An additional $331 was found in the bedroom. BERMINGHAM is unemployed. 

     JOSEPH ALLEN BERMINGHAM was arrested and transported to the Baxter County Detention Center where he has been booked on charges of:

Possession of Schedule I or II Controlled Substance with Purpose to Deliver (2 counts) – Felonies
Possession Schedule IV Controlled Substance with Purpose to Deliver – Felony
Possession of Methamphetamine with Purpose to Deliver – Felony
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (2 counts) – Felonies
Possession of Firearms by Certain Persons (convicted felon) – Felony
Habitual Offender – Penalty Enhancement
Parole Violation – Felony

    BERMINGHAM has a bond of $25,000 on the new charges, but he is being held without bond for the parole violation.  He will appear before the Baxter County Circuit Court to answer on June 21st.  Records indicate that JOSEPH BERMINGHAM has been booked into the Baxter County Detention Center eleven times since 1995.

     Agencies involved in the compliance check and arrest were the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas Community Corrections, Mountain Home Police Department, Cotter Police Department, Gassville Police Department, and the 14th Judicial District Drug Task Force.

/s/ John F. Montgomery,
Baxter County Sheriff