Area Residents Facing Drug Charges

Several area residents have been arrested by federal officers charged with selling drugs and money laundering.

The story below is by Phillip Launius of KTLO:

A Federal Grand Jury recently indicted 48-year-old Joseph Alan Bermingham of Cotter and 30-year-old Levy Derrick McGee of Yellville for selling drugs and working with others to launder thousands of dollars in alleged drug proceeds using various Cash APP accounts.

Two other people, 31-year-old Allen Thompson of Lawton, Oklahoma and 39-year-old Anna Atchley of Harrison are also facing charges of selling drugs and being part of the alleged conspiracy involving Bermingham and McGee to launder cash derived from drug sales.

The major drugs mentioned in the indictment are methamphetamine and Fentanyl.

Details of one drug bust involving Thompson and Atchley were disclosed in Count Three of the indictment. According to information contained in the charge, a vehicle occupied by the pair was stopped in Boone County August 3. When the vehicle was searched, officers located almost 5,000 grams of methamphetamine and about 220 grams of Fentanyl.

In addition, many of the messages between Bermingham, McGee, Thompson and Atchley concerning the movement of money from point-to-point are contained in the indictment.

Bermingham first appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court in 2007. Since that time, 11 additional criminal cases have been opened on him.

He has been accused of possessing drugs and drug paraphernalia multiple times in addition to being a felon in possession of a firearm, theft, sneaking contraband into the Baxter County jail and with fighting with fellow inmates while locked up.

Bermingham has been charged with possessing and selling various drugs, including methamphetamine, marijuana, suboxone, morphine sulfate and Diazepam.

He has also forfeited thousands of dollars suspected to have been obtained through illegal activity to the state. He has also given up weapons and a set of body armor.

During a June 2018 compliance visit to Bermingham’s home by probation and parole agents, about $4,500 in cash was found in a backpack belonging to him. At the time, Bermingham was on parole and listed himself as unemployed.

McGee has had drug-related charges filed against him in Baxter, Boone and Marion Counties.

Bermingham and Thompson are currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals and being held at the Washington County jail in Fayetteville.

Court records show McGee, who was being held in the Baxter County Detention Center, and Atchley have made bond. According to the Baxter County Detention Center log, McGee, who was jailed November 30 was released December 6.

Conditions were set on the bond, including travel restrictions. Atchley was also ordered to continue an addiction treatment program.

Pre-trial conferences for all four defendants are now set for early next year, according to electronic court records.