A Drew County woman convicted of drug related charges in 2024 has failed to convince the Arkansas Court of Appeals that there was insufficient evidence to convict her.
Amanda Marie Adair, 37, is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence and will be eligible for parole in 2032.
She was convicted of trafficking fentanyl and possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver following a trial in Drew County Circuit Court.
Testimony at the trial showed that Adair was arrested after 10th Judicial District Drug Task Force agents stopped a vehicle that Adair was a passenger in and when told the agents could smell marijuana inside the vehicle. After being told that the agents would call the Drew County drug dog to the scene, Adair reportedly said there was marijuana in her purse and “other things in the vehicle that were not hers.”
When agents searched her purse, they found a zipper bag with one small and one large bag of methamphetamine and two bottles of blue pills with M-30 inscribed on them. The agents testified that the markings on the pills are typically used to denote oxycodone but could also be “fame oxycodone,” or fentanyl mixed with acetaminophen disguised as oxycodone.
Asked about the pills, Adair reportedly admitted they were “100 percent fentanyl.”
Adair also handed one of the agents her cell phone and asked him to call someone for her and the agent saw text messages which appeared to reference drug transactions.”
At trial, a chemist from the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory confirmed that the pills were fentanyl and acetaminophen and the suspected methamphetamine was 1.6653 grams of methamphetamine.
After the prosecution rested, Adair’s attorney moved for a directed verdict which was denied and after the defense rested without calling any witnesses, renewed the motion for a directed verdict which was again denied.
In her appeal, Adair contended there was insufficient evidence to convict her of trafficking, but the appeals court disagreed, noting that the drugs were found in her purse and there were text messages on her phone that referenced “blues” which the task force agent said is the street name for fentanyl.
Regarding the possession with intent to deliver, the appeals court noted that the methamphetamine was packaged in such a way to facilitate delivery and the text messages found on her phone indicated her intent to engage in drug transactions, including the delivery of methamphetamine.
