TASK FORCE CHIEF ADMITS STEALING DRUGS

RUSSELLVILLE -- The former coordinator of the 5th Judicial Drug Task Force
will spend 60 days in a regional detention facility after pleading guilty
to drug-related charges.

Stephen Paul Brown, 43, of Clarksville pleaded guilty Tuesday in Pope
County Circuit Court to charges of possession of a controlled substance,
possession of drug paraphernalia, theft of property and tampering with
evidence, according to John Threet of Fayetteville, special prosecutor in
the case.

Threet, chief deputy prosecuting attorney for the 4th Judicial District,
said Pope County Circuit Judge John Patterson sentenced Brown to 60 days
and fined him $1,000. Brown also was placed on probation for six years and
ordered to pay $150 in court costs; his driver's license was suspended for
six months, Threet said.

Brown admitted stealing drugs from a task force evidence locker for his own
use, Threet said.

Some people may see the case as one in which the chief drug investigator
was caught using drugs, Threet said. But it also shows that the judicial
system works, he said.

"There was no cover-up with anyone besides him, and once it was discovered,
he cooperated fully," Threet said. "He admitted to having a drug problem
and using drugs."

The instance involving Brown was isolated, Threet said, and no one else
with the task force was stealing evidence or using drugs.

Law enforcement officers investigated the matter and helped bring it to a
conclusion this week, Threet said. "I would hope that would make people
think this is an isolated incident with one particular person. ... There
was no cover-up by the police."

Brown told investigators he was the only task force member tampering with
evidence. Brown took evidence from an undetermined number of closed drug
cases and two that are pending, Threet said.

In all, Brown stole four grams of cocaine and about three ounces of
methamphetamine, he said.

Before the allegations of evidence tampering surfaced, Brown checked
himself into a drug rehabilitation center. Soon afterward, some
discrepancies regarding evidence showed up and that led to an
investigation, Threet said. When confronted, Brown readily admitted that he
had stolen evidence.

No evidence surfaced that Brown was stealing money or weapons from the
evidence locker, Threet said.

Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons said the district has taken steps to
prevent the theft of drug evidence in the future, but he would not elaborate.

Threet declined to comment on any connection between Brown and Carla Diane
Christopher, 21, of Fayetteville, who was charged in January with theft of
property, tampering with physical evidence and being a felon in possession
of a firearm. An affidavit states the gun was seized from a drug suspect
and taken to the drug task force office. It later turned up in
Christopher's possession.

Brown was not implicated in the theft of the gun, Threet said.

Christopher failed to show up for trial earlier this year and eventually
was arrested in California. Authorities are seeking her extradition to
Arkansas.