84 Year Prison Sentence for Felony Cocaine Arrest by DTF & 90 MPH Pursuit
June 21st, 2010 by Joe Burgess
Rodney Scales, age 36 of Dermott, was found guilty by a Drew County jury Friday, on the charges of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver and fleeing (without concern for human life).
Scales was sentenced to 80 years on the cocaine charge, and 4 years on the fleeing charge. The jury recommended the charges run consecutive, for a total of 84. Scales will not be eligible for parole for approximately 21 years.
Scales, according to the court, has 6 previous felony convictions, ranging from drug charges, to possesssion of firearms, to theft of property.
It was also noted during the trial that Scales had incurred around $7,000 in rental car expenses.
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Posted October 7, 2009
Felony Drug Arrest by DTF after 90 MPH Pursuit
An investigation by the 10th Drug Task Force has led to the arrest of a Dermott man for felony drug charges. 
The investigation is being called a ‘very significant blow to cocaine trafficking in Chicot and Drew Counties’.
According to Lt. Jason Akers of the Tenth Drug Task Force, Agents attempted a traffic stop on a rental car driven by Rodney Scales, age 35. As Agents attempted to stop the vehicle, Scales led the Agents in a 90 mile per hour pursuit on Highway 278 near the Drew/ Chicot County line to the Selma- Collins Road. Once on Selma- Collins, Scales continued to flee north several miles, causing agents to narrowly miss log trucks and road graders that were not readily visible due to the dust on the road from Scales vehicle. Agents say Scales travelled at speeds in excess of 60 miles per hour on the curvy gravel road.
During the pursuit, Scales was seen throwing a large white object out of the passenger side window. Task Force Agents alertly marked the location and later recovered the item, which was a bag that contained what was represented to be over three ounces of cocaine.
Scales was only apprehended after Task Force Agents boxed his vehicle in and ordered Scales to stop his vehicle at gunpoint.
Scales was charged with possession of cocaine with the intent to deliver and fleeing. He received a bond of $150,000 which he has since posted.
According to Akers, ‘the pursuit and the takedown of the suspect’s vehicle was performed flawlessly by the agents with no innocent people, the suspect or the Agents being injured. The Agents did an outstanding job under extremely adverse circumstances. Had the pursuit continued, someone may have very well been injured and we weren’t going to allow that to happen.’
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Good job guys thanks for trying to keep this stuff out of the hands of all of people you can.
Why are the judges letting these drug dealers out on bail ?? they will just go back and send more of this poison out on the streets,
Eighth Amendment: Excessive bail shall not be required
The reason judges let the accused out on bail, Kenneth, is because our Constitution guarantees it. Weren’t you listening in Mrs. Beard’s class? Me neither, but I still picked that info up somewhere.
We need these Task Force Agents in San Joaquin County, California. Great job!!
should be no bail out for drug look what its doing to our county.
GREAT JOB, GUYS!!! SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO STOP THIS MESS FROM GETTING TO OUR KIDS AS WELL AS OTHER ADULTS THAT ARE HOOKED ON IT! SO GLAD THAT NONE OF MY FAMILY IS ON THIS MESS!!! KEEP THE GREAT WORK GOING, GUYS!!!
Who decides what excessive bail is???? Ten percent of 150,000 is $15,000. What drug dealer has a problem coming up with this? He probably pulled that out of his back pocket. Judges need to raise the amount of bail.
Actually Mark, there are offenses where bail may not be available, such as capital murder. Bail is generally determined by the chances of the person not showing up for court to face charges (flight), the chances that they may re-offend and the likelihood of conviction as well as the seriousness of the offense(s).
Sounds as though some of you prefer a police state. Well good news, we can now travel to Cuba. Sounds as though many of you would be comfortable there. This is America after all. Police supposedly work for all the citizens, not just the one who can’t praise them enough.
Everyone is allowed bail, Even drug dealers. And yes most of the dealers go right back to selling there poison the next day.
They fighting the wrong fight!!!!
I am glad that this scum bag got caught, serves him right! I hope that we as law enforcement can get some more dealers off the street along with the help from some good people who want to clean up our state. Believe it or not the police are human too and they want the best for the people that we protect and serve, and I know that I enjoy having the people support their local law enforcement after something like this. But anyway GREAT JOB, KEEP IT UP AND STAY SAFE!
great job—-now go after the rest of these scumbags
Drugs ruin your life so what is the point of doing them!
”’FOR U ALL PEOPLES WHO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS MAN,AND PUT DOWN LIKE HE’S TRASH OR SOMETHING.WELL I’M PRETTY SURE THAT EACH AND EVERY ONES OF YOU HAVE SOME WRONG IN LIFE,BY THE WAY”THE BIBLE” SAYS-JUDGE NOT,THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED.FOR WITH WHAT JUDGEMENT YE JUDGE,YE SHALL BE JUDGED;AND WITH WHAT MEASURE YE METE,IT SHALL BEMEASURED TO YOU AGAIN,AND WHY BEHOLDEST THOU THE MOTE THAT IS IN THY BROTHER’S EYE,BUT CONSIDEREST NOT THE BEAM THAT IS IN THINE OWN EYES? ”OR HOW WILT THOU SAY TO THY BROTHER,LET ME PULL OUT THE MOTE OUT OFTHINE EYE;AND,BEHOLD ,A BEAM IS IN THINE OWN EYE;;;;SO PEOPLES IN OTHER PRAY FOR THIS YOUNG MAN,ASK GODTO HELP TAKE THIS WRONGFUL MATTER FROM HIM ,AND THAT YOUNG MAN CHOOSE A BETTER WAY IN LIFE,INSTEAD OF YOU PEOPLES TALKING ABOUT HIM, BECAUSE U ALL DON’T KOWN WHO IS USING OR DEALING THOSES DRUGS ,YOURS FAMILY MEMBERS OR WHO.
Im glad he is off the streets because he could have hurt someone really bad. 84 yrs. are you serious? The court system should be overhauled. True enough he was wrong on his actions but 84 yrs…….. People who commit crimes against the elderly and children do not recieve the same harsh punishment.
I agree with u uam grad. Ppl don’t get that much time for murder. But it does set a example that you better not do what he did. Maybe thats why his sentence was so harsh, they used him for a example…just sayin
I think this was his 7th and 8th offense. Repeat offenders. He hasn’t served all the time from his others, getting out early.
I doubt he serves over 5 years this time. They just let them out and they go back to doing the same thing.
I will pray for him, to never get out of jail, or find the wrong end of something and we won’t have to put up with this trash.
Anyone can quote the bible, an eye for an eye. How many lives has he messed up?
I think if they are repeat offenders either hang them or put them to death by firing squad in public. There is no sense in jails being full or overcrowded and tax payers are footing the bill for each of them to just sit in there. Which a lot of people are on food stamps and welfare that take sides of these poor people that didn’t mean to kill someone or sell a kid crack.
Well said Monticello resident …..I agree…. Now I can understand the 84 yrs. Repeat offender…I thought it was first offense…but you are right , and I also think that if you are on some kind of state/government assistance , u should have to take a urine/drug test once a mth and if u fail it u lose your benifits!!!! Call it “Urine or your out”
I am loving Someguys name for the drug test for people on assistance. I am ROFLMBO!!!!!! And I so agree with that, but that is another issue all together. It is nice to have one more drug dealer off the street. Wish we could get rid of them ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“I think if they are repeat offenders either hang them or put them to death by firing squad in public”……thank goodness you’re not a judge!!! Everyone can agree one thing….Drugs are bad! No matter if you use them or sell them. Call me partial to drug dealers and drug addicts…..I believe in rehabilitation. There are recovering drug addicts and alcoholics walking around everyday trying to live life differently….all because they were given a chance, or two or three! There are sex offenders, rapists, and murderers walking around, but lock up the drug dealer for 84 years!? They give him 4 years for fleeing (w/out concern for human life) and 80 years for the drugs???? Something just doesn’t seem right!
In the middle East, they would cut his hands off for the first offense….
Innocent bystander,
That would work wonders here. When you get to where you cannot wipe your butt, maybe they will quit stealing, selling drugs, and all that other junk.
They just want a handout or money fast. Get out and work, wake up people.
That is too much time. Murderers get less time than that. That is ridiculous
Our judges and especially juries are biased…..
I agree with harsh punishment for drug dealers. The problem I have is that we have people taking lives and receiving 10 yrs. Something is wrong. Lately, we are seeing harsher punishment for drug dealers and people that is commiting murder and raping our children are getting a slap on the wrist!!! What is going on?
What murderer got ten years? And too much time? With our States parole system, he will do approximately twenty years and be out.
And how are judges and juries biased? Are they biased when they find people not guilty too? Is there an example of this bias somewhere? I think our jury system is the best in the civilized world. Is there a better way?
And while drug dealers sometimes get long sentences, what about the addicts they create who get a LIFE sentence by being addicted until the day they die?
“Fleeing SEX OFFENDER” = 21 YEARS..”Felony Cocain Arrest” = 84 YEARS..where is the sense in that? Repeat offender or not. These people dealing with drugs CHOOSE to live that life. The victim of the sex offender didnt CHOOSE to be the victim, they became it. If these drug dealers AND THOSE WHO BUY, USE, or whatever else, decide thats what they want to do with their life then let them. Not saying its right but they are recieving more punishment than those causing harm to OTHERS and taking lives. How hard is that to understand?
Drug dealers.. especially those selling things like COCAINE do need to be put away for long periods of time. Many many people commit horrendous crimes due to being out of their minds on drugs. Children are abused and neglected, robberies happen, car wrecks, etc. Drug dealers aren’t necessarily bad people – but they know what the punishment is if they get caught. What’s the saying “you do the crime, you do the time.” It’s a risk they take to be law-breakers.
You can say not to judge others.. but you cannot have that tought process when it comes to issues like these. Do we also apply that to murderes? Rapists? They honestly deserve no consequences? No judgements?
I do agree that there are many people that should be locked up for 84yrs for other crimes.. but that doesn’t necessarily mean that this sentence is extreme – especially if it is true that this was the 7th or 8th offense. When is enough enough?
what is going on here.like you say a killer gets 10 years for killing someone but quoate me if im wrong a drug dealer affects hundreds of live’s every week not just 1 or 2 and how many ends up diening from drugs.alot more than 1 plus they help bust up alot of family’s with there poisen..
What murderer got less years? The girl that killed a 16yr. old boy. There are countless others. Yes drugs are bad but taking a life is much worse. 84yrs?!!! He should have a mansion, cars, investments and everything. But judging from that pic, and I admit,I am not that great with conversion but, isn’t that like an oz. or so???? I have a problem with this!!!
People. People. People. It is the South. Drugs carry a far more severe punishment than rapist/pedophiles/abusers of children and animals/ and oh yeah, murderers. Well most of you put these judges and politicians into office. The system needs to be overhauled. Get your priorities straight.
how can you people say i can the system let drug dealers out on bail they let murders and rapist on bail at times to. i dont support drug trafficking but i do know that the system gave this man unfair sentencing far a time goes. now you officers of drew county and dermott not finest i do not congradulate you guys at all i think theres still work to be done in other aspects of you guys counties but drew county you guys are doingyour jobs over there but dermott officials you guys need to let some of us young people know when this so called city meetings go on so you can actually see and hear why our community is going donward instead of upwards.this is 2010 and nothing has changed at all.you hae murders and rapist out among our erderlies and our children and you thin you guys deserve a pat on your backs or any thank yous i dont think so.
i strongly agree with trotter girl that looks like an oz. for real i have a problem with that also
they took this man life for dealing drugs thats more than they give murders and rapist this world is surely coming to an end our judicial system has failed me but i lost faith in the system alongt time ago when they sent a mentally challenge person to prison even though the family asked them to send him to an institition where he can get the proper treatment he needed at the time. jay is there a such thing called wrongful placement here in arkansas i know there is in a couple of states
PEOPLE WILL NEVER CHANGE. ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH ARKANSAS. YES, HE WAS WRONG, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER DRUG DEALERS/CRIMINALS. BUT JUST LIKE THEY MAKE A CHOICE TO SELL DRUGS, THE PEOPLE THAT BUY AND USE THEM ALSO HAVE A CHOICE. I’VE NEVER DONE CRACK OR ANY OTHER DRUG FOR THAT FACT, BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN THE EFFECTS. COMMON SENSE. THAT WAS/IS MY CHOICE. HE SHOULD GET TIME FOR THE POLICE CHASING HIM WHEN THEY COULD HAVE BEEN ASSISTING SOMEONE REALLY IN NEED AND ENDANGERING LIVES AND OF COURSE, THE DRUGS. IT COULD HAVE BEEN ALOT WORSE. ISNT’T PRISON FOR REHABILITATION? HOW ABOUT THEY WORK ON THE PRISON SYSTEM!! MOST GO IN AND COME OUT WORSE THAN THEY WERE. ANY SUGGESTIONS OPINIONATED PEOPLE??? FOR EVERYONE TO JUDGE HIM OR THE REST IS WRONG. THE TRUTH IS THE TRUTH WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT IS OR NOT. WE ALL FALL SHORT. AND YOU! YES YOU! ARE NOT PERFECT. WE JUST DON’T KNOW YOUR FLAWS. THEY ARE NOT ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE PAPER. IF YOU WERE PERFECT, THEN YOUR NAME WOULD BE GOD! AM I DEFENDING THIS MAN? BY NO MEANS. BUT HE IS A CHILD OF GOD. JUST LIKE YOU WOULD PRAY FOR A SICK PERSON, PRAY FOR HIM AND THE REST OF THEM HEADED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. YOU MAY BE THE FIRST TO PRAY FOR THEM. PRAY FOR THOSE ADDICTED. PRAYER CHANGES THINGS. AND STOP THROWING STONES WHEN YOU LIVE IN A GLASS HOUSE!
Alot of you are putting this man down and dont him. Well i was at the trial and he was not given a fair one. The state brought in a convicted fellon from Texas to testify against this man, the man who testified has known this man all of their lives, and he testified because he was busted coming from Texas and the he would not come get him in time and that made him mad and vengful enough to testify. The prosecution also gave this young man 1yr. for every gram they had 84 grams they gave him 84yrs. If you are going to sentence him do it right. I agree what he done was wrong and drug dealers know do the crime do the time, but if the state is going to give the time give it right with a fair trial. Because if you are labeled a drug dealer you are already guilty by the jury.
for everyone that thinks this is a fair sentence i will pray for you he has a 10 year old daughter who loves him very much and he is also married and u think this is fair the only thing that you know is that he is a drug dealer you dont know that he is a great father and he loves her more than life it self you dont know that he wouldnt hurt anyone and that he would give you the shirt off his back yeah he sold drugs that was his choice but what about the grown ass people using drugs that is their choice yeah he should have gotten some time but damn 84 years be for real but since you want be for real i will he wont do all that time he will get good time early parole and not to mention he is a nonviolent offender so when the prisons get full and they need space for the people out her shooting and killing up people they gone kick him out early along with a whole lot of other non violent offenders hell dont be suprised if he only dose 10 percent of his time so there so to his wife girl keep your head up and to his daughter well im her mother so she is going to be alright see you soon RODNEY love always baby momma and daughter!!!!!!!! LMAO now speak on that you dumb ass idiots.
This young man was wrong and should get time for his crime. Honestly I do not fully know the court system so I can’t say what’s fair or unfair when it comes to serving time. For those of you not from Southeast Arkansas it is a whole different world. Look at I live in monicello commets and take note of the buzzwords: these people, welfare, handout, stealing and foodstamps to name a few. SAD. Yes this young man will no doubt pay for trying to put this poison on the streets but some people are already in prison (monticello) because they can’t look past their prejudices. People wonder why I left Southeast Arkansas over 20 years ago and don’t plan on going back.
BECAUSE SOMETHINGS NEVER CHANGE
I feel like he was already a felon and people aint tryna give felons no type of jobs want them to pay parole fines and there aint no jobs for a felon im not saying what he did was right but i think that he had the right to make his money to survive so that aint no difference they wouldnt even give a person who murdered somebody that many years they wring and i mean that…
Baby Momma thats whats up half these folks might not even be our race they might be the ones that ratted him out , and i respect that these folks dont know the half about this man so they need to get a life and stop commenting on it….give him a good as job and they wouldnt have to worry bout it…