A Mountain Home man on parole from the Arkansas Division of Corrections was arrested Thursday morning on additional drug charges after being pulled over for a traffic violation.
According to a press release from Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery, a deputy was running stationary radar along Baxter CR 608 when he observed a vehicle going 20 miles per hour over the speed limit. A traffic stop was initiated and identified the driver as 39-year-old Nicholas Koskinen. Koskinen, a parolee with a search waiver on file, had just been released from prison on May 23.
During the traffic stop, deputies found Koskinen to have a suspended driver license. He was detained a search of his person and vehicle was conducted, where the deputy found various controlled substances and drug paraphernalia including approximately 3.3 grams of fentanyl, approximately 9 grams of methamphetamine, alprazolam pills, clonazepam pills, psyllium mushrooms, marijuana, digital scales, meth pipes, storage containers with methamphetamine residue, and a magnetic box commonly used to conceal drugs on the undercarriage of a vehicle.
Koskinen was booked into the Baxter County Detention Center where he faces a felony count of trafficking a controlled substance, a felony count of possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver, a felony count of possession of a Schedule I controlled substance with purpose to deliver, two felony counts of possession of Schedule IV controlled substance with purpose to deliver, two felony counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor count of driving while license suspended, a misdemeanor count of speeding along with an enhancement of habitual offender.
According to court records, Koskinen has at least 23 prior felonies in 11 different cases, qualifying him as a habitual offender.
Koskinen is currently being held in the Baxter County Detention on a $25,000 bond on the new charges and without bond for a parole violation. He is set to appear in court on August 12.
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