A Magnolia man who caused more than $1,000 in damage to a new Arkansas Department of Transportation visitors center on U.S. 71 in April was sentenced Tuesday to five years' probation.
Dustin Wade Otwell, 37, must also pay restitution as determined by the probation department, various fees and costs and a $2,500 fine. Otwell appeared Tuesday afternoon with Texarkana lawyer Josh Potter before Circuit Judge Carlton Jones. Potter and Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Black told Jones they agreed to resolve the case with a plea bargain.
Otwell must complete treatment for substance abuse as ordered by the probation department. Black said Otwell's vandalism appears to be connected to a drug problem.
If Otwell violates the conditions of his probation for felony criminal mischief, he could be ordered to serve up to six years in prison.
The Miller County sheriff's office began investigating after receiving a call April 30 about vandalism to the Welcome Center on Highway 71 North. Plumbing, sewer, electronics and landscaping were damaged in the early morning hours. Using video surveillance, Miller County sheriff's office investigator Sam McJunkins identified a red Chevrolet pickup involved in the destruction.
Otwell was arrested in May and spent several nights in the Miller County jail before posting a $25,000 bond.
Metro on 07/20/2018