Article courtesy of Frank Spain, Prosecuting Attorney, Tenth Judicial District
On August 19th, 2026, an Ashley County jury found Rosario Ford Jr., a 34-year-old Crossett resident and violent habitual offender, guilty of multiple felony charges.
The conviction stems from an investigation by the Crossett Police Department into a report from the victim regarding an incident on December 13, 2026. The victim reported that Ford threatened to “blow her brains out” while possessing a firearm. The Tenth Judicial District Prosecution Attorney’s Office charged Ford as a habitual offender with the offenses of Terroristic Threatening in the First Degree, a Class D Felony and Felon in Possession of a Firearm, a Class B Felony.
During the one-day jury trial Chief Deputy Prosecutor Attorney Sandra Bradshaw presented testimony from the victim and additional witnesses along with home surveillance video. Ford was represented by attorney Joe Mazzanti. After hearing all the evidence, the jury found Ford guilty of both charges.
The jury heard about Ford’s extensive criminal history during sentencing, which includes convictions for offenses committed in 2018 for Arson in the State of Louisiana, in 2020 for Fleeing in a Vehicle Creating Substantial Danger (Class D Felony) and Driving While Intoxicated in Drew County, in 2020 for Endangering the Welfare of a Minor in the Second Degree (a Class A Misdemeanor) and in a separate case for in 2022Domestic Battering in the Second Degree (Class C Felony), both in Ashley County.
Following deliberations, the jury recommended a sentence of five years for Terroristic Threatening in the First Degree and 20 years for Possession of a Firearm by Certain Persons. Tenth Judicial Circuit Judge Robert B. Gibson III accepted the jury’s recommendation and sentenced Ford to 15 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction.
The Tenth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office extends its gratitude to the jury for its time, dedication, and service during the trial. Prosecuting Attorney Frank Spain commented “The jury’s verdict sends a clear message that possession of firearms by violent felons will not be tolerated.”
Under Arkansas law, an individual previously convicted of a violent felony offense who is subsequently convicted of possessing a firearm is ineligible for parole. As a result, Ford must serve the entirety of his 15-year sentence.
