Weapons investigation leads to arrests

Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Kenneth Blankenship

BENTON - Following a weapons investigation by the Scott County Sheriff's Department, a rural Benton man is in jail.

Kenneth Blankenship, 50, is charged with the felony of unlawful possession of a firearm.

On Sunday Staff-Sergeant Branden Caid and Sergeant Justin Wooten obtained information that Blankenship was illegally in possession of a concealable handgun.

Bobbie Joe Wipfler

At approximately 1 a.m., the Scott County SERT team executed a search warrant at Blankenship's residence located outside of Benton. During the search investigators located a .22 caliber handgun and ammunition inside a jacket pocket that Blankenship was seen wearing earlier during the day, according to Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter.

Blankenship's past criminal convictions qualified him to be charged with the weapons offense, Walter reported.

Also at the residence was Bobbie Joe Wipfler, 37, who had an active probation violation warrant out of Arkansas.

Blankenship and Wipfler were both taken into custody and transported to the Scott County Jail.

Blankenship remains in custody on a $10,000 cash only bond. Wipfler is awaiting extradition back to Arkansas.

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