A 49-year-old Fort Smith man who was arrested on drug charges all the way back in February of 2022 took a plea deal in Sebastian County Circuit Court last week that sent him do to 10 years in prison with an additional 10 years suspended on a number of different charges.
Falling his initial arrest on the drug charges back in March 2022, Rankins was released from jail on a ,$9450 legally sufficient bond. In addition to the arrest on that date for Possession of Controlled Substances and Paraphernalia, Rankins was charged with Driving on a Suspended License, Feeing on Foot, and Furnishing a Prohibited Article to a Correctional Facility.
On November 21 last year Rankins was arrested again on two counts of Felony Class C Failure to Appear, one count of Fleeing on Foot, and for Contempt for refusing to pay fines. He was in jail this time for almost two months before posting I combined total of over $16,500 in cash and legally sufficient bonds. He was released from the Sebastian County Adult Detention Center on January 19, 2023.
All of his sentences were set to run concurrently with existing prison terms. He was given jail time credit and a DNA sample was required from the court. By entering and accepting the plea deal, Rankins was able get a Habitual Offender tag removed from the case.
If and when Rankins gets out of prison his driver's license will be suspended for six months with a permit.
The last address Rankins provided the courts was ion the 5200 block of cherry Street in Fort Smith.
