Four Magnolia men were issued prison time Thursday in Columbia County Circuit Court after violating their probation sentences stemming from previous felony convictions. All of cases were separate.
Zackary Wayne Williamson, 19, of Magnolia was sentenced to 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and true to probation revocation. Williamson was previously convinced for a March 2018 robbery, according to court records.
The defendant was also issued 2-year SIS (suspended imposition of sentence) term.
According to the prosecutor, Williamson was arrested March 30 when police found him in possession of a .40 caliber handgun after they were called to a Columbia Rd. 78 address where there had been a report of an argument.
The defendant was granted 173 days of jail credit.
Anthony Marquis Williamson, 37, of Magnolia pleaded true to probation revocation counts as part of a state-negotiated deal. He was sentenced to 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction.
He failed to report to his supervising probation officer in September 2019, November 2018, December 2018, and August 2019. He was also arrested on Jan. 31 for possession of methamphetamine, which he admitted to Thursday in court.
Williamson claimed that its “slipped his mind” the four times he did not report. The 37-year-old also has felony convictions including residential burglary and possession of meth with purpose deliver from 2017. He was also delinquent in his court costs and payments and tested positive for marijuana in July, according.
After a lengthy conversation with Circuit Judge David W. Talley Jr., Williamson was sentenced to the prison term as well as 15 and five-year SIS terms.
Before sentencing, Williamson’s attorney, Public Defense Attorney Jessica Yarbrough, requested one more chance for her client to “get clean” by attending drug court. She stated that he was recently employed as well.
Phillips, when asked the state’s position on the matter, noted that Williamson had already been given multiple chances, including amending down the previous burglary charge and working with him in the meth delivery conviction.
Williamson also addressed the judge, indicating that he wanted to avoid prison to be with his children. He stated he had kids aged 17, 15, 7, and 1.
“You had all these kids in January when you had the meth,” rebutted Talley. “You had all these kids in July when you used marijuana.”
“You were on probation,” he later added.
Bacardi D. Crow, 24, of was sentenced to six years in the Arkansas Department of Correction after he pleaded true to revocation. He was placed on probation in April, but, in the months since he admitted to testing positive for methamphetamine, amphetamines, cocaine, and alcohol, failed to pay on his court costs and fees, and associated with a convicted felon – all violations of his probation.
Crow pleaded guilty on April 18 to possession of meth or cocaine. He was also arrested Sept. 12 and charged with firearm possession by a felon, robbery, possession of a controlled substance, and simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms.
Yarbrough before sentencing requested that Crow be issued into a drug rehabilitation program in lieu of prison time, but Talley reminded the defendant that in April when he pleaded guilty for drug possession, he turned down the opportunity to be enrolled in the drug court program.
“On that day, you didn’t think it would be in your best interest to enroll in a rehab program,” he said. “I’m trying to figure out what has changed since then.”
Crow’s pending case from January was also set for trial on Dec. 16.
Brandon Rasheed Sharp, 23, of Magnolia was sentenced to 11 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction after he pleaded true to two revocations of SIS counts and guilty to charges stemming from an April 20 arrest for possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. He was in possession of two 9mm handguns, according to Deputy Prosecutor Ryan Rainwater, after police were called to Westwood Apartments for a disturbance.
The defendant had previously been convicted in 2016 for aggravated assault and fleeing, and residential burglary in 2014, according to court records.
When asked by the judge why he was in possession of a gun on April 20, the defendant was vague in his answer, saying only that he typically did not carry a gun and that he had previously “found” one of the guns on McArthur Circle while walking from South Side Park.
When sentencing Sharp, Talley did not wholly follow the recommendation of the state, which contained only six years of prison time. He instead handed down a six-year prison term for one revocation of SIS count and five years for another. The sentences were stated to be served consecutively, equating to the effective term of 11 years. The judge also issued a 10-year SIS term for revocation and a 6-year SIS sentence for the 2019 firearm possession plea.
Sharp was given 62 days of jail credit.
After the sentence was issued, Talley warned Sharp that if he was caught in possession of a firearm again while he was judge, the consequences would be substantially harsher the next time.
“There’s still an awful lot of time hanging over you,” he said.