Six individuals were arrested in Baxter County last month as part of a week-long undercover operation targeting scam couriers and online predators, the Baxter County Sheriff's Office announced. The operation, conducted alongside the Mountain Home Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the private investigative group Trilogy Media Inc., resulted in charges ranging from theft to internet stalking of a child. The Carroll County and Sharp County sheriff’s offices also provided support.
The first arrest occurred on July 22, when investigators intercepted a scam courier traveling from Hardy to Mountain Home to collect $45,000 in cash. The transaction, orchestrated by an undercover officer posing as an elderly man, took place in a grocery store parking lot. Deputies stopped the courier’s vehicle on Highway 62 East shortly after. Patti Lynn Dunlap, 73, of Hardy, was arrested at the scene and charged with felony theft of property. Authorities reported that Dunlap admitted she was to retain $10,000 for completing the pickup. She is currently being held on a $50,000 cash bond.
Two similar arrests followed on July 23. Investigators arranged for a decoy to hand over a package purported to contain $45,000. One suspect fled on foot to a vehicle, which deputies later stopped. Jinbu Lin, 47, and Jiaming Yu, 34, both of Brooklyn, New York, were taken into custody. Yu, who was driving, reportedly had over $4,000 in cash and approximately two grams of methamphetamine in the vehicle. Both men were charged with felony theft of property, felony possession of a controlled substance, and felony fleeing. They are being held without bond due to immigration detainers filed by Homeland Security.
The operation also targeted online predators seeking to solicit minors. Christopher Dyson, 44, of Gassville, was arrested at a Mountain Home hotel after authorities alleged he contacted a decoy posing as a 14-year-old boy, sent explicit photos, and arranged to meet for sex. Dyson was charged with felony internet stalking of a child and released on a $25,000 bond.
On July 24, investigators arrested two additional suspects. Brady Dale Terry, 40, of rural Mountain Home, allegedly contacted a decoy posing as a 14-year-old girl, expressed intentions for sexual contact, and arranged a meeting. Later that day, Travis Lewis Dollins, 29, of Yellville, was arrested at the house being used in the operation. Dollins is accused of similar actions involving a decoy posing as a 14-year-old girl. Both men face the same felony charge as Dyson. Terry was released on a $25,000 bond, while Dollins remains in custody on a $25,000 bond.
The Sheriff's Office noted that other scam couriers were active in the area during the operation, but investigators were unable to arrange additional meetings. Officials emphasized that the charges brought against the six individuals are allegations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.