Fort Smith Times Record, AR
Feb 24 2005
Cocaine Suspect’s Attorney Enters Not Guilty Plea
By Aaron Sadler
An attorney for a New York City woman accused of having cocaine
valued at $912,000 entered a not guilty plea on his client’s behalf
Wednesday in Crawford County Circuit Court.
Florence Hinds, 54, was arrested by Arkansas State Police on Feb. 9.
She was a passenger in a pickup on Interstate 40, where police said
they found 19 pounds of suspected cocaine hidden inside the tailgate.
She is charged, along with a co-defendant, with possession of cocaine
with intent to deliver. She is free on $15,000 bond. Attorney Marvin
Honeycutt of Van Buren entered the plea for her at Wednesday’s
arraignment.
Ainsley Fitzroy Hoffman, 48, was the driver of the pickup. He is also
free on bond and has a court appearance next week.
State Police Cpl. Olen Craig said he was patrolling the interstate
near the Oklahoma border when he noticed the pickup swerving toward
the shoulder.
Hoffman gave police permission to search the vehicle and a
drug-sniffing dog alerted to the drugs, a report stated.
Also Wednesday, Circuit Judge Gary Cottrell reduced by half the bond
for a Glendale, Ariz., man charged with possession of methamphetamine
with intent to deliver.
Bond was set at $50,000 last week for Robert Nirzakanian. He was
arrested along with Dora Uriarte, 40, of Long Beach, Calif., at the
truck inspection station on I-40 near Van Buren.
Highway police said they found more than six pounds of suspected
methamphetamine in the tractor-trailer rig Nirzakanian was driving.
The drugs were in a bag filled with women’s clothing, police said.
Fort Smith attorney Robert Blatt, who represents Nirzakanian argued
for the bond reduction to $25,000. He said his client, an Armenian
immigrant, had no prior criminal record.
Blatt said Nirzakanian was training Uriarte on how to drive the rig.
He said the fact the suspected drugs were found along with women’s
clothing is another reason for reduced bond.
Uriarte, who is free on $50,000 bond, pleaded not guilty Wednesday.