Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Sept 5, 2024 – Three men were arrested, cited and released in separate incidents on Sunday after purchasing alcohol illegally from a suspected bootlegger around Church and Belt Street area of north Jonesboro.

The first stop occurred after Jonesboro Police officers witnessed a hand-to-hand exchange with a female earlier in the evening. The officer could also see a black plastic bag with Corona bottles inside and recovered 12 glass Corona bottles that were unopened.

The bottles were emptied at the scene and the arrestee was cited with two misdemeanors, given a court date and released on the scene.

In another incident involving a bootleg customer was shortly after the first… the JPD officer stopped another vehicle whose passenger had been spotted purchasing illegal alcohol from the same bootlegging suspect earlier in the evening.

The K9 officer quickly alerted on the vehicle, at which time the search was performed and produced a black plastic bag with 14 Bud Light aluminum cans and another opened can in the passenger side cupholder.

These cans were emptied at the scene and the passenger was cited with two misdemeanors, including one for the open container of alcohol and possession of alcohol from a seller without a license.

He was also given a court date and released on the scene.

The third incident occurred when JPD officers ran a vehicle’s tag and found out that all the subjects who had previously been stopped in the van did not have a valid driver’s licenses.

The officers then initiated the traffic stop and found that the driver, who had also been spotted purchasing illegal alcohol from the bootlegging suspect earlier, did not have a valid Arkansas driver’s license, and he was detained.

During this time, the officer’s partner spoke with one of the passengers, who admitted that they had stopped at the “liquor store” and the alcohol was still in the van.

The officers then located a black plastic bag with seven Budweiser aluminum cans inside the vehicle and the arrestee was then cited with two misdemeanors, including no valid driver’s license and possession of alcohol from a seller without a license.

These cans were also emptied, and the arrestee was given a court date and released on the scene.