Tammy Curtis, Publisher and from press release
Sharp County Sheriff Shane Russell announced today in a press release the arrests of three individuals, including a person incarcerated at the detention center, following a two-month narcotics trafficking operation.
Agents with the Third Judicial Drug Task Force and Sharp County Sheriff’s Office detectives worked on “Operation Jail Mail.” During the two-month investigation, hundreds of hours of phone calls, video calls, and text messages were monitored, resulting in the arrests.
On Aug. 6, DTF Agents, Sharp and Lawrence County deputies, Black Rock Police, and Arkansas State Troopers executed a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling from the Memphis, Tenn. area.
As a result of the stop, Randy Mitchell, 65, of Williford and a juvenile male were arrested for trafficking methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Approximately eight ounces of methamphetamine were being transported in the vehicle.
Following the traffic stop, DTF agents and Sharp County detectives executed search warrants for residences in Ozark Acres and the Williford area.
Enough evidence was gathered during the search warrants to formally charge Linda Charlene Kinsey, 60, with nine counts of possession of a firearm by a certain person, all Class D felonies; theft by receiving a firearm, a Class D Felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class D Felony.
Also charged was Randy Mitchell, 65. He was charged with possession of methamphetamine greater than 10 grams but less than 200 grams and illegal manufacture of spirtuous, vinous, or malt liquor without a license.
Additionally, a currently incarcerated inmate, Joseph Mitchell, was charged with conspiracy to traffick methamphetamine and the unlawful use of a communication device.
At the time of Randy Mitchell’s arrest he was currently out of jail on a $50,000 bond in Sharp County for a Jan. 3 incident.
A home visit led to the discovery of a large quantity of marijuana, scales, packing material, methamphetamine smoking devices, homemade liquor, and a homemade still were located during a visit to his 15 West Parkwood home in Willford during a probation and parole check by the Arkansas Department of Corrections. His criminal drug history dates back to 1999 in Sharp County.
Joseph Mitchell, 39, also has an extensive drug history, dating back to 2019. He was shot during an altercation in January that was believed to have been drug-related. Search warrants of the homes of those involved resulted in the discovery of two ounces of methamphetamine, distribution amounts of marijuana, shrooms, narcotics, needles, and 12 firearms. Randy was also arrested in the incident on drug charges.