Two people accused of trafficking fentanyl

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Police arrested a man and a woman after they said they were trafficking fentanyl.

Craighead County District Court Judge David Boling found probable cause on Wednesday, June 25, to charge 32-year-old Jamie Benetiez Harris with two counts of trafficking of fentanyl and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Judge Boling also found probable cause on June 25 to charge Dorothy Jean Harris with trafficking of fentanyl, possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with physical evidence, and distribution near certain facilities.

On March 3, a bench warrant was issued for Jamie after an officer with Homeland Security Investigations was contacted by an informant who said he was able to purchase fentanyl powder from Jamie Harris at an apartment on the 1000 block of Rains Street, where Jamie lived.

Several weeks later, another bench warrant was issued after another informant made contact with Jamie to buy two grams of fentanyl on April 9.

Court documents state that on May 13, Second Judicial District Drug Task Force agents executed a search warrant at the Rains Street apartment.

Agents located two people, one of whom was Dorothy Harris, at the residence. Police did not come into contact with Jamie Harris at this time.

Agents said they saw Dorothy trying to get to the bathroom area of the apartment, but they stopped her.

The 77-year-old was searched, and a prescription bottle with 18 pills and a bag containing 3.3 grams of a hard substance that field-tested positive for fentanyl were reportedly found on her.

Agents further searched the apartment and found three more bags containing “a white powdery substance” and a set of digital scales that police say is commonly used for weighing narcotics.

During a Mirandaized interview, Dorothy told officers that she “was trying to get to the bathroom to throw the drugs away in the trash.”

Investigators found the apartment was leased to Dorothy, and they arrested her following an investigation.

Two months later, on June 24, Second Judicial District Drug Task Force Special Agent Rick Guimond located Jamie at a house on the 700 block of Marshall Street.

Court documents state that Guimond knew Jamie had two bench warrants for his arrest.

According to the affidavit, Guimond spoke with the person who lived there, and they gave consent for police to search the home.

In the house, Guimond found pills that resembled counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.

Guimond also found drug paraphernalia and residue in the bedroom that Jamie appeared to have used to take fentanyl.

The pills were shown to the person living with Harris, and she said the pills were fentanyl laced and that “Jamie had taken one and it made him sick.”

The pills were sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab due to the uncertainty of the pills’ identification.

Judge Boling set Jaime’s bond at $1,000,000 cash/surety and Dorothy’s bond at $25,000 cash/surety.

According to the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office online roster, Jaime was released on Tuesday, June 24, at 11:45 a.m.

The judge ordered Jaime to wear a GPS ankle monitor.

Jaime and Dorothy are scheduled to appear in court on July 31.

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