BENTONVILLE -- A California man was sentenced to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to transporting 45 pounds of marijuana in an airplane that landed in Benton County last year.
Harrison Steve Vulich, 68, of Julian, Calif., pleaded guilty Thursday to possession of a controlled substance with the purpose to deliver, a Class B felony punishable with a prison sentence ranging from five to 20 years. His plea came under an agreement reached between attorney Shane Wilkinson and Bryan Sexton, deputy prosecutor.
Vulich was arrested March 6, 2015.
A U.S. Homeland Security special agent was informed March 5, 2015, a suspicious airplane was traveling to Siloam Springs, according to a probable cause affidavit. The plane had taken off in Southern California, refueled in Arizona and was headed to the Siloam Springs airport, according to court documents.
Vulich was identified as the pilot and the airplane was registered to a fictitious flight school listing Vulich's address, according to court documents.
Vulich had a couple of previous possession of controlled substances arrests, and he was arrested for drug smuggling in 1973, according to court documents.
Homeland Security agents with a police dog went to the airport where Vulich's plane landed.
James Nixon, the airport manager, took authorities to the plane and reported Vulich paid $400 in cash for fuel and acted nervous and suspicious anytime Nixon was near the airplane, according to the affidavit.
The police dog alerted to the odor or narcotics coming from the plane, according the probable cause affidavit. An agent was also able to see two large duffle bags in the plane.
One duffle bag contained 24 vacuum-sealed packages of marijuana that weighed 1 pound each. The other bag contained 21 1-pound packages of vacuum-sealed marijuana.
Vulich later was arrested at a hotel where he was spending the night. He declined to speak with authorities without a attorney after his arrest.
Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren accepted the plea agreement and Vulich's guilty plea.
Vulich was sentenced to five years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. He must abide by a suspended sentence agreement for 12 years after his release from prison.
NW News on 09/30/2016