A Little Rock woman was arrested Thursday on a federal complaint that charges her with conduct that she admitted to while testifying on her boyfriend's behalf at his recent trial, the U.S. attorney's office said.
Nicole Blakely, 39, was jailed on charges of using illegal drugs while in possession of a firearm.
She was called as a defense witness last week in the trial of her boyfriend, Torrioan Neal, who was charged with possessing with intent to distribute marijuana. Over her attorney's objections, she testified that she had purchased all of the marijuana police found in a house she shared with Neal and that she owned a pistol that police found in the home.
The jury found Neal guilty of possession with intent to distribute marijuana but acquitted him of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Neal is still facing a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, which defense attorney Willard Proctor Jr. asked be tried separately from the other charges so jurors wouldn't hear about Neal's previous criminal record when deciding the drug charges.
All of the charges stemmed from a search warrant executed on Jan. 20, 2016, during which officers also found ammunition, drug paraphernalia and about $9,500 in cash, according to court documents.
U.S. Attorney Cody Hiland said Thursday that Blakely's testimony, designed to save her boyfriend, now leaves her facing a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison -- the same sentence Neal faces on the charge for which he was convicted.
Metro on 06/22/2018