A serial pharmacy burglar who was caught earlier this year after employees at a Craighead County pharmacy laid a trap and detained him at gunpoint has pleaded guilty to county and federal charges, according to court documents.
Dustin Dewayne South, 27, of Jonesboro was sentenced to nine years in prison and received 10 years of suspended imposition of sentence after pleading guilty Dec. 17 to seven counts of commercial burglary.
He originally faced additional felony charges of possession of oxycodone, theft greater than $5,000, two counts of theft $5,000 or less, two counts of first-degree criminal mischief, five counts of misdemeanor first-degree criminal mischief and possession of instruments of crime, but those counts were dismissed as part of the plea deal.
Craighead County deputy prosecutor Charlene Henry said Wednesday that South's sentence will run concurrently with the federal sentence.
"Once he is released from the federal penitentiary, he will still have time to serve in the Arkansas Department of Corrections on the multiple pharmacy burglaries," Henry said.
His arrest occurred April 28 at Gibson Pharmacy on East Matthews Avenue in Jonesboro.
Police were called in reference to a burglary in progress. When officers arrived, witnesses were holding South on the ground at gunpoint. The witnesses said they were hiding in the business because of the large number of recent pharmacy break-ins in the area. The group heard glass break and watched South enter the pharmacy through the broken window and walk toward the medications.
Witnesses said that once South noticed people inside the pharmacy, he attempted to run. The group fought with South, and one witness ran out and knocked over Smith's motorcycle to prevent his escape until police arrived.
Officers said a hammer was used to break the window, which matched the method used in at least five other pharmacy break-ins in Jonesboro.
South was ordered on Dec. 17 to pay $21,905.65 in total restitution to Gibson Pharmacy, Woodsprings Pharmacy and The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy.
According to the probable cause affidavit, South was on state probation and on federal pretrial release when the arrest occurred.
South was indicted Oct. 3 after he used false written statements to buy an AR-15 rifle and have it shipped to him by Academy Sports. He wrote on an Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms form that he was not under indictment or had any information in any court for a felony or any other crime punishable by imprisonment, when in fact he was facing felony charges in three separate cases in Craighead County Circuit Court, according to federal documents.
Federal documents filed Oct. 18 that mentioned the Craighead County pharmacy break-ins also made the court aware that South had been arrested May 10 for breaking into the pharmacy and stealing Oxycontin, oxycodone and hydrocodone. He was ordered May 30 to attend 30 days of inpatient treatment, but on Sept. 25 he tested positive for oxycodone and was discharged from his chemical-free living facility.
South pleaded guilty Dec. 12 to a charge of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and was sentenced to year and a day in federal prison.
State Desk on 12/27/2018