HS woman arrested in 2021 DTF raid gets 7-year prison term
Hot Springs woman was arrested in a raid by several agencies led by the local drug task team last year. She was sentenced to seven-years in federal prison following a hearing at U.S. District Court Hot Springs.
Debra Ellen, 48, pleaded guilty previously to one count each of possession with intent distribution meth. At the end of the hearing, Judge Susan O. Hickey sentenced her to seven years imprisonment followed by three years of supervision. Special Assistant U.S. An attorney Trent Daniels, and Assistant U.S. An attorney Bryan Achorn, prosecuted the case.
Hulsey, a member of the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force and Hot Springs Police, was arrested at 9 a.m. March 19, 2021. She had been executed a narcotics search order at her home in the 1400 Block of McClendon Road.
According to the probable reason affidavit investigators gained entry to the house, where they found Hulsey living in the living area. At that time, she was taken into custody on warrants for two counts each of delivery of meth.
Hulsey was a felon currently on probation. She had an active waiver for search. Hulsey was previously convicted of felony possession of meth and drug paraphernalia in Garland County Circuit Court. She was sentenced on June 10, 2019, to three years probation, a $1,000 fine and $545 in costs.
Investigators discovered multiple documents under Hulsey’s names and nine firearms in a bedroom with “Debbie’s Room” written on it. The guns included a 9-mm Luger or Tec-Nine, a .22-caliber revolver, two .22-caliber rifles, an H&K 5.56-caliber rifle, a .410 pistol, two 9-mm handguns, a 20-gauge double-barrel shotgun and two loaded magazines.
Investigators discovered a plastic container containing 1.9 grams meth, four bags containing 8 grams meth, 1.2g of meth on a living room table, another 0.75g in a drawer with a pill bottle, and another 5.9g in a plastic bag. They also found $305 in cash in different denominations in a bag. The total meth found in the house was about 17.7 grams.
Investigators also discovered many plastic baggies that were “commonly utilized for packaging narcotics,” as well as three sets of digital scales and four glass smoking devices, each with meth residue, along with multiple syringes.
According to Thursday’s news release from U.S. attorney David Clay Fowlkes, the Western District of Arkansas, multiple controlled purchases of meth were made by DTF investigators between August 2020 and January 2021.
After her arrest, Hulsey was taken to the Hot Springs Police Department. She told investigators that she had first started distributing meth in 2007 and that she has been distributing approximately 3-4 pounds per week since March 19.
The drug enforcement administration laboratory performed additional testing on the meth purchased and seized.
Hulsey initially was arrested on charges of state possession of drugs and firearms simultaneously, engaging in criminal gang contact, possession meth with intent to deliver and two counts of drug paraphernalia possession, two counts delivery of meth and nine counts of possessing a firearm by certain people.
Hulsey pleaded guilty to the charges in circuit courts on June 8, 2021. The state charges were officially withdrawn on May 12, after she was indicted on a federal grand jury. Hulsey remains in custody in lieu a $316,000 bond.
The case was brought to justice as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. This program brings together all levels law enforcement and the communities that they serve to reduce violent crimes and make our neighborhoods safer, according the release.