Felon pleads guilty in grenade case

Lomax indicted on 6 counts, admits to 3: selling meth, having firearms and a grenade

A Texarkana man arrested earlier this year with a cache of firearms and a "dead man's" grenade pleaded guilty to three felonies Friday morning in federal court.

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Staff Sgt. Jeff Parker of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base greets his wife, Beth; son, Hunter (in his arms); and daughter Allison, 1 age 2/2 months (in blanket); upon his return to the base Wednesday evening. Nearly 200 airmen from the Jacksonville base returned from a six-month deployment supporting combat operations in southwest Asia.

Skip Earnest Ralph Lomax, 31, appeared before U.S. District Judge Susan Hickey with Federal Public Defender Anna Williams for a change of plea hearing Friday in Texarkana's downtown federal building. Lomax has been in custody since leading police and federal agents on a brief high-speed chase through Texarkana, Ark., in March.

A federal grand jury in the Texarkana Division of the Western District of Arkansas handed down a six-count indictment for Lomax in May. Lomax pleaded guilty to counts 2, 3 and 5 of the indictment Friday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Wulff said the government intends to move to dismiss the remaining counts at sentencing.

Lomax pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, possession of firearms by a convicted felon and possession of a destructive device. The grenade with which Lomax was caught had been altered so that it would detonate the second the pin is pulled, according to a federal complaint used to create the following account.

Lomax was the target of an undercover investigation that began with the Bi-State Narcotics Task Force, which is comprised of officers from the Miller County Sheriff's Office, Texarkana, Ark., Police Department and Texarkana, Texas, Police Department. When it became clear Lomax was trafficking weapons as well as methamphetamine, agents with Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives became involved.

Lomax pleaded guilty Friday to selling an ounce of methamphetamine for $425 to an undercover operative Jan. 22. After an undercover agent purchased a fully automatic machine gun and the "dead man's" grenade for $1,000 from Lomax during a March 24 meeting on Abernathy Drive in Texarkana, officers in marked units moved in to take him into custody, fearing he could have more grenades and guns.

Lomax accelerated to speeds of up to 80 miles per hour as he weaved through traffic but lost control of his truck near a church on Arkansas Boulevard. Because of concern that explosives might endanger the public, about 30 people were evacuated from the church.

Inside Lomax's wrecked red pickup, officers discovered a Ruger .380-caliber pistol, a Colt Police Positive .32-caliber revolver, a Ruger .38 special revolver, a .38 special revolver of unidentified origin, a Taurus Millenium G2 .40-caliber pistol and a revolver with its serial number removed. As a convicted felon, Lomax is prohibited from possessing weapons or ammunition.

Hickey told Lomax he will be scheduled for sentencing once the court has received a presentence investigation report, which will include a recommendation for punishment under federal sentencing guidelines. Lomax faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine up to $1 million or both for the drug offense. Being a felon in possession of firearms is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a fine up to $250,000 or both. The conviction related to the grenade could net Lomax up to five years in prison, a fine up to $250,000 or both. Lomax remains in federal custody.

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