January 26, 2018
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
After seeing his hotel room mate plead guilty in December, an Elk City man joined her by pleading guilty on similar drug charges stemming from an arrest in September of last year.
34-year-old Amario Smith Dominguez pleaded guilty last week to two counts of possession of a controlled, dangerous substance with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm after former felony conviction.
Dominguez was sentenced on both drug charges to 20 years in prison with 10 years to serve and the balance suspended. He received the same on the weapon’s charge with all sentences to run concurrently.
30-year-old Katherine Michelle Thompson of Elk City pleaded guilty recently to two felony counts of possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 10 years to serve concurrently in the Department of Corrections with six months to serve and the balance suspended.
According to a probable cause affidavit, three investigators with the District 2 Drug Task Force along with an Elk City Police Officer served a search warrant for Dominguez’s arrest residing in a motel room in the 11-hundred block of Highway 34 in Elk City. The warrant was valid through the Washita County Sheriff’s Office.
As officers approached, they found Dominguez outside his room and placed him in handcuffs. He was allegedly found to have three baggies of a CDS. One was believed to be marijuana and the other contained two meth.
Found with the suspected drugs, officer’s told Dominguez they believed he was involved with criminal activity and asked to search his motel room. He told them they could and confessed to having a loaded firearm in the dresser.
Inside, they found Thompson who told investigators that she had brought the gun into the room, a loaded Smith & Wesson. 38 special.
Additionally, officers found a number of drug related items including a plastic bag containing approximately 16 grams of meth, two “lines” of meth and 13 grams of marijuana as well as a mason jar containing more of what officers believed to be marijuana. Also found were various drug paraphernalia.
The associate district judge handling the case gave Thompson the option of substituting treatment for jail time.
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