Joseph Lynn Lyons

     The Sheriff's Office has arrested a parolee on felony drug charges after a complaint that was received about a potentially intoxicated driver.  At approximately 10:23 PM on Friday evening, November 1st, the Sheriff's Office received a report of a possible intoxicated driver on U. S. Highway 62 East.  The caller provided a license plate number, which returned to a 2000 silver Dodge Durango.  The caller reported that the driver of this vehicle had pulled into the parking lot of J. & J. Watersports.

     Sheriff's Corporal Craig Gates responded to the area and located the Dodge Durango on the parking lot.  He pulled behind the vehicle, got out, and then approached.  Corporal Gates made contact with the driver of the vehicle, who was identified as 35 year old JOSEPH LYNN LYONS of Violet Hill, Arkansas.  JOSEPH LYONS was found to be on parole with the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections with a search waiver on file. 

     Corporal Gates observed that LYONS had been trying to conceal something in his right hand, and Corporal Gates then conducted a search of LYONS for weapons and searched his vehicle.  During the search, suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found in the vehicle.  JOSEPH LYONS was arrested and taken into custody for those offenses.  He was placed into the back of the patrol vehicle.  After Corporal Gates placed LYONS in the back of the patrol car, he noticed the top of a pill bottle on the floorboard.  When asked about this, LYONS stated the bottle had contained two Xanax pills and he had swallowed them. 

     JOSEPH LYONS was then transported to the Baxter County Detention Center.  Once at the jail, Corporal Gates checked the seat of his patrol car and found an additional baggy of methamphetamine under the back seat where LYONS had been sitting.  In all, there was approximately 2.4 grams of methamphetamine found and seized.

     JOSEPH LYONS was booked on charges of:

Possession of Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) - Felony
Tampering with Physical Evidence (2 counts) - Felonies
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia - Felony
Parole Violation - Felony

     LYONS was given a bond of $7,500 on the drug charges but is being held without bond for the parole violation.  He will appear in the Circuit Court to answer the charges on November 7th.

/s/ John F. Montgomery,
Baxter County Sheriff