This is a roundup of felony charges filed Jan. 30 through Feb. 13, 2026, by the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office. Some defendants may also have misdemeanor charges against them, but most are not included here. The following names and charges, which are contained within public documents, are gathered from online court records available through ARCourts. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Beaver hunt leads to meth arrest
An Arkadelphia man was arrested on felony drug charges after officers found him hunting beavers in an area where hunting was off-limits.
Jason Wayne Bright, 52, was arrested Dec. 21, 2025, after a deputy observed a car in a restricted hunting area with ammunition left in plain view. A police affidavit does not indicate where the property is located.
The deputy sat in wait until Bright exited the woods with a rifle and dragging a beaver toward the vehicle.
A check through the state’s criminal information database showed that Bright was restricted from possessing a firearm due to mental illness regulations. He was initially placed into custody for the firearm violation, then an inventory of the vehicle yielded a bag of methamphetamine weighing 3.7 grams.
Bright is charged with Possession of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance, a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of 3-10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
Rape victim urged to keep mum
A Gurdon man is charged in the alleged rape of a teenage girl.
The charges stemmed from an interview the girl had with officials. At first, the victim denied the allegations as the suspect, Jerome Henry, 63, of Gurdon, was dating a relative and family members had convinced her that, if she reported the crime, some of her relatives could get in trouble.
A recording of Henry telling the victim to “squash” the story was also found, with the suspect denying the incidents had happened. She also reported that the suspect gave her money to keep quiet about the incidents, which apparently went on for about 2-3 years at Henry’s home.
Henry is charged with Rape, a Class Y felony that carries a prison sentence of 10-40 years or life.
Glenwood man leads deputies, troopers on Highway 8 chase
A Glenwood man faces prison time for allegedly trying to outrun Clark County deputies and Arkansas State Police.
On the evening of Jan. 26, Nathan Stockslager-Wheat, 34, of Glenwood, was traveling east on Arkansas Highway 8 when a deputy spotted him cross the center line and fog line multiple times over the course of about 5 miles, nearly side-swiping an oncoming vehicle at one point.
The deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop at Rest Haven Cemetery, but the driver continued east until making a left turn onto Unity Road. It was at this time that Arkansas State Police were called for backup.
The driver led the deputy through the DeGray community—on DeGray and Old Military roads—until returning to Highway 8 and traveling west. Around Skyline Drive he reportedly slammed on the brakes in an alleged attempt to cause the deputy to rear-end his vehicle.
The deputy requested assistance from other agencies as the pursuit continued toward Amity’s city limits, where the driver made a U-turn and drove back east. A State Trooper was able to stop the suspect vehicle near Kirksey Road, where Stockslager-Wheat was taken into custody.
During an inventory of the vehicle prior to towing, police found multiple baggies of marijuana weighing a total of 4 ounces.
He’s charged with Fleeing and Possession of a Schedule VI Controlled Substance with Purpose to Deliver.
Woman runs from police in stolen truck
An Arkadelphia woman took a joyride in a pickup truck and ran from police when they found her in the stolen vehicle.
The area was covered in a blanket of ice and sleet on Jan. 23 when a County Club Road man reported the theft of his 2012 Ford F-250. Detectives reviewed security camera footage and photos and interviewed people “from different parts of the county” to identify 31-year-old Taylor L. Hughes as the suspect.
The next day, a deputy saw the vehicle as it sat in the roadway of McMillan Road. The deputy initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle, and Hughes fled on foot. Two passengers were questioned, but later released when police determined they had no involvement in the theft of the vehicle.
Hughes was located about 1.5 hours later at the nearby Dillard’s Truck Stop near the Gurdon exit of Interstate 30. Due to the sub-freezing temperatures resulting from Winter Storm Fern, Hughes was taken by ambulance to Baptist Health Medical Center and checked for hypothermia before her arrest on Jan. 26.
Hughes was charged with felony Theft of Property and Fleeing on Foot, a misdemeanor. She has since entered a negotiated plea of guilt, and was sentenced to 84 months in the Arkansas Department of Corrections, with a 12-month sentence suspended for the fleeing charge. She was also fined $1,590—$1,100 of which goes to the Clark County Local Victim Restitution Fund.
Dollar General shoplifter loads cart full of goods
A Gurdon man is accused of stealing more than $1,200 worth of merchandise from the town’s Dollar General store in a shopping cart loaded down with goods.
Timothy Lane, 61, was identified as the suspect in a Jan. 12 report that a male customer had stolen a large quantity of merchandise. Surveillance footage showed the suspect fill a cart with groceries and merchandise and leave the store without paying. Store management was able to identify $1,219 worth of merchandise, but noting that the cart was “excessively full”—some items were covered by other merchandise—the total value of stolen items was believed to exceed that amount.
A Gurdon deputy marshal made contact with Lane at his residence. Lane denied the allegation, although he was reportedly wearing the same clothing as the suspect in the surveillance footage. Lane said that someone had borrowed his truck and clothes to commit the theft.
While visiting with Lane inside his residence, the marshal observed multiple items from DG on the counter, in plain view.
Lane is charged with Theft of Property valued between $1,000-$5,000, a Class D felony.
Rape suspect charged with failure to register
An Arkadelphia man who was arrested for rape on Christmas Eve 2025 now faces additional charges for failing to register as a sex offender.
Michael Lewis Balch, 52, had changed his address to a 12th Street address and was driving a car that he was in the process of registering, according to an affidavit filed by Clark County Investigator Sherry Cleek. By law, he is required to report both changes to authorities, but had not, which is a Class C Felony.
Balch was arrested after a woman reported that she awoke to him performing an immoral act on her. She did not know who he was.