Theodosia man allegedly brings meth, gets high with two other prisoners while in custody

A warrant with a $5,000 cash-only bond has been issued for James M. Ruark, 44, of Theodosia, in connection with a case in which he’s alleged to have brought methamphetamine into the Ozark County Jail when he was booked in on another case and used it, along with two other prisoners, to get high while being held in custody. 

 

Allegations

According to the probable cause statement, prepared by Ozark County Sheriff’s Sgt. Justin Brown, at 2:33 p.m. May 17, the officer spoke with a jailer and told the jailer that several other prisoners told the officer that Ruark had introduced methamphetamine into the jail when he was booked in. 

Brown wrote that several inmates told him that when Ruark was booked and placed into jail pod A, he immediately went into the jail cell’s bathroom. Two other inmates also went into Ruark’s cell. After awhile, all three prisoners exited the bathroom and began acting in a way that made jail staff believe they were under the influence of drugs. 

All of the inmates in pod A were moved from the pod into the jail’s recreation yard, with each prisoner being searched before exiting the pod. 

“I spoke with Ruark and the two inmates that were in his cell. I asked if they would take a drug test and they all agreed. All three tested positive for methamphetamine,” Brown wrote in the report, adding that the other two inmates had been in jail for two weeks before the test. 

Brown asked the two inmates if Ruark had brought meth into the jail, and one inmate reportedly said, “I won’t say yes or no. I will just say you are a pretty good cop.”

During the search of pod A, an e-cigarette tub was located. It had the residue of a crystalline substance inside. The substance field-tested positive for methamphetamine. 

 

Charges

Ruark is charged with delivery of a controlled substance and delivery of a controlled substance at a county jail. 

He’s being charged as a prior and persistent drug offender, which means he’s facing a heightened sentence if convicted, due to his prior felony convictions which include two possession of a controlled substance convictions in Wright and Pulaski County, both related to 2019 drug-related offenses. He was on probation in those cases when he reportedly brought the drugs into the jail in Ozark County, and probation violations have been filed in both cases. 

Ozark County Times

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