Cleveland County man sentenced to 21 years for meth possession

A Cleveland County man has been sentenced to 21 years in prison after being found guilty of meth possession by a Grant County jury.

According to a press release, a Grant County jury consisting of nine (9) women and three (3) men found a Cleveland County resident, Darius Hill, guilty of Possession of Methamphetamine, a Class C felony, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Class D felony.

The State’s case was presented to the jury by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Weber.

On July 10, 2023, Darius Hill was found to be in possession of 2.5 grams of methamphetamine and a glass smoking pipe during a traffic stop search in Prattsville by Deputy Rick Stephenson of the Grant County Sheriff’s Department.

According to the release, Hill had concealed the methamphetamine in a Red Hots candy box.

The Honorable Stephen Shirron presided over the one-day jury trial. Judge Shirron followed the recommendation of the jury and sentenced Darius Hill to twenty-one (21) years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

Hill had five (5) prior felony convictions before Thursday’s guilty verdicts; therefore, the jury sentenced him as a habitual offender.

The thorough investigation by the Grant County Sheriff’s Department and the Group Six Narcotics Enforcement Unit made for a quick verdict and sentencing recommendation by the jury.

Hill was taken into custody at the conclusion of the jury trial by the Grant County Sheriff’s Department to begin serving his time of incarceration.