An investigation carried out by federal and local law enforcement has resulted in the indictment of 22 individuals for illegally distributing substantial amounts of controlled substances in Maury and Lewis counties. This operation should be a message to the bad guys that if theyre thinking they can come out to the rural areas of West Tennessee to sell their drugs, commit violent crimes or hide out, it wont be tolerated, Carter said. Tennessee Drug Offender Registry Disclaimer The information contained in the Tennessee Drug Offender Registry is provided to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation by the appropriate clerk in each county. The motto of the Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force continues to be Protect, Enforce, and Educate., The Tennessee Alliance for Drug-Endangered Children(TADEC) is comprised offederal, local, and state agencies who share a goal to prevent drug-related harm to children and rescue, shelter, and support Tennessees children who suffer physical and psychological harm caused by the manufacture, distribution, sale, and abuse ofprescription drugs and alcohol.. The night of Jan. 9, Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers tried to pull Seals over in Hamilton County on Highway 27. All rights reserved. Its important to know also that possession can mean anything from having the drugs in your pocket to having them in your car or even near you. Fentanyl is sold as heroin and often laced into other drugs such a heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine. He'd just bought drugs from a woman at the center of a federal investigation, officials say. Discovery Company. An additional 8 individuals were charged in separate indictments throughout March, according to the DOJ. In 2021, the TBI investigated 131 cases. "Seals emerged from his vehicle with an assault rifle and fired a very large number of shots at the troopers," according to an affidavit from Ted Francisco, a task force officer with Homeland Security Investigations. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeChristenCDH and on Instagram at @michaelmarco. The estimated total street value of the drugs is more than $13 million, according to Overbey's release. Los Angeles, one of nine cities targeted by Operation Crystal Shield, is a hub for drug traffickers because of the proximity to numerous freeways and airports. According to the task force, law enforcement agents stopped a 2010 Mercedes on I-40 near the Fayette County border Thursday for a violation of awindow tint law. They were discovered hidden in a truck delivering medical supplies from Mexico. A locked padlock WBBJ 7 Eyewitness . Demographic conditions of the Appalachia HIDTA, including relatively high unemployment and low median family income, create an environment where illegal activities and corruption can flourish. The following individuals have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana into and throughout West Tennessee. All four charges for possession with intent are classified as felonies. Agents became suspicious after questioning the two men in the vehicle both from California and utilized a narcotics detection dog, Harper, to conduct a free-air sniff around the car. CLINTON, Tenn. (WVLT) - Multiple agencies including the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force completed an investigation that ended in the arrests of several drug trafficking suspects. The Jefferson City Police Department Aggressive Criminal Enforcement unit has ended a lengthy undercover operation that resulted in 31 Jefferson County grand jury indictments for the sale and. - [Google Review], What to Do if You are Pulled Over for DUI, Finding the Right Criminal Defense Lawyer, Drug Bust in West Tennessee Yields Drug Crime Charges Against Nine. The court may also require you to take drug education classes or perform community service. The arrests and drug seizure was made possible after agents developed information about a shipment of drugs being sent to Murfreesboro from California. Narcan is an opiate antagonist that acts by blocking the effects of opiate drugs and reversing the event of an overdose. Wayne County Sheriff Shane Fisher said a routine drug. Mosley and Jenkins were charged with committing these crimes following a conviction for a serious drug felony. In March 2019, a DEA investigation was initiated in the Jackson, Tennessee area. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The University of Tennessee's campus police and Knoxville Police Department executed a search warrant for narcotics 1618 Forest Avenue in Knoxville on August 19 around 1 p.m. Savannah Padgett and Sophia Featherstone, both UT college students, lived at the same residence and were also on the search warrants as suspects. 2. North Memphis drug bust results in 40 indictments, 3 houses closed by: Stuart Rucker, Andrew Ellison. Authorities find 3,100 pounds of meth and other drugs hidden in truckload of medical supplies, These two seizures are more than enough to provide a dose of meth, for every man, woman, and child in the United States and Mexico. Smith was arrested by the U.S. In August 2010, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) designated Shelby County to be included in the Gulf Coast HIDTA. Making sure that victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect. Drug Seizure Statistics FY2023 As of 15 December 2021 the Drug Seizures dashboard now includes seizures of all drug types. And you know some people turn to drugs to deal with that.. Established in 1998, the Appalachia HIDTA is comprised of sixty-five, predominately rural counties located within the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. During the press conference, Shea mentioned last weeks second-largest border seizure of meth in which federal agents confiscated more than 3,000 pounds of meth, heroin, fentanyl powder, and pills laced with fentanyl. Acting DEA Administrator Timothy Shea announced the bust at a press conference Wednesday. The post Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Announces Major Drug Bust Involving Fentanyl and Fentanyl Laced Drugs appeared first on Thunderbolt Radio. Among those with ties to the alleged meth ring is a Knox County man named Cody Seals, 22, who in January got into a shootout with Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers in Hamilton County while carrying meth he'd just gotten from Magana, according to records and previous reports. Marshals Service (USMS). Drug Investigation Division Special Agents assigned to the Appalachia High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area focus their efforts on drug trafficking in counties throughout East and Upper East Tennessee. Individuals indicted could face a minimum of 10 years in jail or a maximum of life in prison, according to the DOJ. I 100% recommend Adrian H. Altshuler and Associates!! He does not appear to have been charged with a federal offense. The TBIs Drug Investigation Division (DID) investigates and assists in the prosecution of crimes involving controlled substances, narcotics, and other illegal drugs. The organization allegedly has ties to MS-13, Sur-13 and a host of other street gangs that distributed thousands of illegal narcotics, according to the DOJ. CONTACT:Tabatha Curtis,Statewide Coordinator. She lived 30-40 minutes from the house, according to the government. Bomb threat draws in police, fire departments, Jackson man gets life in prison for 2019 murder, Selmer police respond to shots fired call, All Tennessee counties to receive funds from lawsuit, Woman demands answers after dog was euthanized, VIDEO/PHOTOS: Heavy winds leave damage across West Tennessee. Affidavits cite numerous undercover and controlled drug purchases, as well as seizures of heroin, fentanyl, and large amounts of cash. Nashville, Tennessee 37203, Telephone: 615-736-5151 Fentanyl He went into the building, and when he came back out he was carrying a Doritos bag, according to records. ( Drew Angerer/Getty Images), This is just another example of illegal cell phones being used by convicted felons to communicate and conspire with criminals in the free-world to proliferate criminal activity, Tennessee Department of Corrections Commissioner Tony Parker said in a statement. ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) - Three Hawkins County deputies were injured while conducting a drug investigation according to Sheriff Ronnie Lawson. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The Department of Justice emphasizes that an indictment is merely an accusation. If youve been charged with drug possession, you face serious repercussions if you are convicted. We are taking the fight to the gangs in order to dismantle their drug trafficking organizations and remove them from our streets. of fentanyl, and 3.5 grams of heroin. An official website of the United States government. Facing those charges are Columbia residents Charles White Chaz Lowe-Kelley, 30, and Hohenwald residents Michael Mac Black Sowell, 37, Frank Chucky Sparkman, 40, Antonio Premo Sowell, 37, Tanasha Nesha" Vaughn,22, in addition to Nashville residents Darron Snype Lucas Weakley, 35, and Antonio Lil Memphis Laster, 31. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Announces Major Drug Bust Involving Fentanyl and Fentanyl Laced Drugs, Union City Boys Knock Off 5th Ranked Gibson County; Girls Fall to Lady Pioneers, Kolitsch named acting provost and senior vice chancellor, Stewart County Dispatch Breaks Record During Storm, Suspected Tornado Touchdown Damages Homes, Band Students Represent Districts Best At All West, Weakley County Students Celebrate Reading In Unique Ways, Speakers remember Martin Luther King, Jr. during annual celebration. A sworn statement from the passenger riding with then Nolensville commissioner Lisa Garramone in October 2020 claims she was driving just before an officer suspected she was drunk. The federal indictment also charges 14 individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana, between March 2018 and September 2019. These seizures are significant not just because of the sheer volume, but because its a sign of a deeply concerning trend meth is pouring into the United States through our southern border and is destroying too many communities and more importantly, too many lives, said Shea. Officers found the people who'd been in the vehicle, and they said they'd just been to northern Georgia to buy methamphetamine through a woman named "Maria," according to records. Morales used contraband cellphones that were smuggled into the prison to orchestrate the drug distribution network, which flowed between Tennessee and Mexico, according to the DOJ. ORDER REPRINT . 21 year old Kevin Bucio-Arredondo of Tustin, and 20 year old Leslie Heredia of Los Angeles, were arrested in Murfreesboro and charged with one count of possession of Schedule II drugs for resale and one count of money laundering. Memphis Commercial Appeal 0:04 0:45 A traffic stop on Interstate 40 in Shelby County last week led to a large drug bust, the West Tennessee Judicial Violent Crime and Drug Task Force said. This is enough dope to provide a dose of meth for every man, woman and child in the United States and Mexico, Shea said. Published According to Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal, an ongoing collaboration between area law enforcement officials has resulted in the conviction in a methamphetamine conspiracy of nearly 57 defendants with the possible subsequent federal sentence of more than 300 . The DEAs focus is to interrupt the drug transportation chain in the cities that account for 75% distribution of all meth distributed in the country, Shea said. He was a Naval veteran, having served on the USS Chatelain, part of the 10th Atlantic Fleet, during WWII. Pulaski caregiver charged with stealing painkillers from an elderly patient, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Agents had been tracking Magana for weeks through wire intercepts and other means, according to records. Hardin County Government - Hardin County, Tennessee - Official . Inside the Doritos bag in his vehicle, authorities found 1.5 kilos of meth and about 500 grams of heroin, the affidavit states. Attorneys Robert S. Levine and Nani Gilkerson are prosecuting these cases. All defendants previously pleaded guilty. Knoxville FBI Special Agent in Charge Rick Lambert said, "Drug trafficking enterprises are responsible for as much as 80% of the crime in many communities ranging from street corner narcotics. The drugs were seized on October 2. They were watching her some weeks later when they saw Seals -- the Knox County man -- pull up to an unidentified hotel in northern Georgia where Magana was staying. While we continue to make progress reducing prescription drug issues, illicit opioid drug use continues to spawn the proliferation of heroin/fentanyl. 29 of these counties are in Tennessee. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. According to a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation news release, 15 people are in custody as of Thursday afternoon. These districts include Fentress County in the 8th Judicial District, Jackson County in the 15th Judicial District, and Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and Cumberland counties in the 13th Judicial District. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the unsealing of the federal criminal complaint today. It just wouldnt happen. First and second convictions for drug possession are a class A misdemeanor and the penalties include a jail term of up to one year, a fine of up to $2,500, or both. Task force director Johnie Carter said the numbers were "absolutely terrifying.". The Governors Task Force on Marijuana Eradication (GTFME) was created by Executive Order No. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Its a massive amount.. JACKSON, Ga. - A big drug investigation that law enforcement dubbed Crystal Web in 12 Georgia . The organization allegedly has ties to MS-13, Sur-13 and a host of other street gangs that distributed thousands of illegal narcotics, according to the DOJ. After the crash, the people in the vehicle ran away. In one incident, the organization kidnapped a woman who lost drug proceeds and used a hatchet to chop off one of her hands, before leaving her lying on the street, the DOJ said. December 23, 2020 3:54 PM. From mid-February until this week, "law enforcement intercepted numerous conversations over wiretaps in which (Magana) coordinated the distribution of kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and other drugs," the Francisco affidavit states. The six were arrested Tuesday in northern Georgia. Officials have detained suspects and will continue to make arrests as the investigation continues. Both agencies led the arrest round up in Benton and Henry Counties on Tuesday as a part of Operation Icebreaker, a more than year-long drug investigation targeting methamphetamine and other. So far, they have not filed charges. During the same time frame, the number of DEA arrests related to meth rose nearly 20%. Court appearanceshave yet to beset for the 14suspects who will go before US District Court in Nashville. Shea said that the capture of the drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, interrupted the Sinaloa Cartels operations, making room for rival Jalisco Cartel to rise and clash. On May 4, 2021, Jacob Mosely was sentenced to 210 months in prison and Howard Dowell was sentenced to 135 months in prison. The finalof three federal indictments returned last month were unsealed last week and all but one charged defendant have been taken into custody, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. The task force is made up of TBI Special Agents and officers from local law enforcement agencies. Christopher Mantooth, 38, Sarah . According to court documents, the DEA and local law enforcement partners launched an investigation into the drug-trafficking organization in June 2019. tennessee narcotic drug bust in which has been filed a felony counts of!. Michael Sowell and Antonio Sowell also faces charges for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); West Tennessee Drug Task Force; Jackson Police Department; Jackson-Madison County Metro Narcotics Unit; Madison County Sheriffs Department; Paris, Tennessee Police Department; Henry County Sheriffs Department; Murray, Kentucky Police Department; Kentucky State Police; Arkansas State Police; Tennessee Department of Correction Office of Investigations & Compliance (TDOC-OIC); and the U.S. . 2023 Cable News Network. amy . McAllen, Texas residents Julio Beto, 45, Freddy Quinones, 48 and Jesus Barbas Silva, 40,also face the changes in addition to Pulaski residents Tory Hardison, 27, and Carson Lunn, 24. Jenkins then called another individual and directed him to turn over $230,030 to law enforcement. Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force Tennessee Drug Map This interactive map allows you to search for an address and display drug activities on the map, including meth lab seizures, meth lab quarantine sites, and other incidents. Seals has since been released from the hospital and and now faces numerous charges in Hamilton County including two charges of attempted murder, according to WRCB-TV. Lock Your email address will not be published. A low level operative would not be trusted to hold $18 million of drugs in a house. Magana is a central figure in the alleged operation, records indicate. Investigators used wiretaps along with other surveillance, confidential sources, traffic stops, search warrants, and gang intelligence to investigate this drug trafficking organization. "It takes us a long time from the time we first know someone is dealing drugs, to. Please considersupportinghis work and that of other Daily Herald journalists by subscribing to the publication. Shelby County Jail records confirmed Cruz and Aguiarviera were booked into the Shelby County Jail on Friday and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture or sell. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The population was 1,423 at the 2020 census. 719 Church St., Suite 3300 The charges carry sentences of between five years and life in prison. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Troy was founded in 1825 as the original county seat of Obion County.

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