Two vehicles used for the sale of illegal narcotics and several weapons were also seized. Those who are faced with the chargeinclude Columbia residents Brent Smiley" Burns, 38, and Tristen Jolly Tisby, 29, and Mt. Pleasant residents Brandon Willie Earl Dailey, 40, Henry Hank Davis, 42, Vincent Roe Conner, 37, Derrick Chewy" Nixon, 54, Shanika Butterball Odom, 31, Terry Goldie Mac Strayhorn, 41 and Samuel Abernathy, 44. 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. Fax Line: 615-401-6626. Published Established in 1998, the Appalachia HIDTA is comprised of sixty-five, predominately rural counties located within the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Acting DEA Administrator Timothy Shea announced the bust at a press conference Wednesday. "An extensive search of the vehicle disclosed a natural void located within the vehicle that had been converted into a compartment to transport contraband," the task force said. Columbia, TN 38401 Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized more than 2,200 pounds of methamphetamine earlier this month, the largest haul in the agencys history domestically, according to officials. Second-Largest Border Meth Bust in History Announced Drug Bust Sep 16, 2020 CBP Finds $3.9 Million Worth of Meth, Cocaine in Boulders at Tecate Crossing Also seized were 893 pounds (405. I 100% recommend Adrian H. Altshuler and Associates!! of fentanyl, and 3.5 grams of heroin. Our hands are tied with a near century old law that could not have foreseen the problem of illegal cell phones inside prisons in 2021.. Both men remain in theShelby County Jail on $1 million bonds each. And you know some people turn to drugs to deal with that.. 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. DEA images of the duffel bags the drugs were found in. "It takes us a long time from the time we first know someone is dealing drugs, to. Lock The increase of heroin abuse has created an epidemic rate increase of overdoses and deaths. This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The operation included more than 40 agents, deputies and officers from the West Tennessee Drug Task Force, Dyer and Lake County Sheriff's Departments, and . The TBI does not independently verify the convictions, and cannot guarantee their accuracy. 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. Thats a significant amount of meth, Timothy Shea, the DEAs acting administrator, said at a press conference on Wednesday. oxycodone, and marijuana, between October 2017 and November 2020. . 719 Church St., Suite 3300 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. 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. 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. Middle District of Tennessee In August 2010, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) designated Shelby County to be included in the Gulf Coast HIDTA. Mardi Growl to close several roads in downtown Knoxville on Saturday, What you need to know about paying to park in the Great Smoky Mountains, Severe storms move through East Tennessee, THP dashcam video shows chase, shootout on Highway 27, Corryton man shot after chase ends in shoot-out with THP troopers. 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. A traffic stop on Interstate 40 in Shelby County last week led to a large drug bust,theWest Tennessee Judicial Violent Crime andDrug Task Force said Wednesday. While the agency was given a grant to conduct a pilot program, the Communications Act of 1934 prevents the technology from being used, according to Parker. A low level operative would not be trusted to hold $18 million of drugs in a house. So far, they have not filed charges. All defendants previously pleaded guilty. Class E Felony: 1 to 6 years. Three arrested, about $400,000 in cocaine seized in Nashville drug bust. They're charged in a complaint with taking part in a meth distribution ring. tennessee narcotic drug bust in which has been filed a felony counts of!. A second indictment charges seven individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack . This is enough dope to provide a dose of meth for every man, woman and child in the United States and Mexico, Shea said. The massive operation was led by 29-year-old Humberto Morales of Tennessee who has been incarcerated at the Tennessee State Prison since 2014. The investigation began in March 2020 and focused on drug trafficking in the Knoxville area in eastern Tennessee. One trooper was shot in the leg. 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 . Monday, October 5, 2020 Seventeen Charged in Poly-Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Spanning Multiple States Jackson, TN - Seventeen individuals have been charged in federal court with operating a multiple-state drug trafficking organization. Officials have detained suspects and will continue to make arrests as the investigation continues. The drugs were found packed inside 25 duffel bags and ready for distribution, according to authorities. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); In early January, multiple law enforcement agencies joined together to arrest nine men and women who were smurfing purchasing pseudoephedrine products in order to manufacture methamphetamine. Please considersupportinghis work and that of other Daily Herald journalists by subscribing to the publication. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The Gulf Coast HIDTA encompasses designated counties/parishes across the six states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Updated April 24, 2020 2:19 PM. amy . 29 of these counties are in Tennessee. Undeterred by the loss, or the possibility that law enforcement was aware of the illegal drug activity, during the undercover investigation Jenkins also agreed to purchase 10 kilograms of cocaine for $240,000. These counterfeits are compiled of various concoctions and are not what they appear to be. The Gulf Coast HIDTA funds four law enforcement initiatives in Shelby County; the Shelby County HIDTA Drug Task Force led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Shelby County MultiAgency Gang Unit led by the Memphis Police Department, Memphis Case Advocacy Program led by the United States Attorney's Office, and Border Enforcement Security Task Force led by United States Homeland Security Investigations. During the press conference, Shea pointed to the pandemic for the rise in drug use and overdoses. Each charged defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and convicted through due process of law. Have a question about Government Services? - [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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Federal authorities have indicted 27 individuals in a massive, violent drug-trafficking scheme that operated out of a Tennessee state prison for years. While we continue to make progress reducing prescription drug issues, illicit opioid drug use continues to spawn the proliferation of heroin/fentanyl. TBI DID has one Special Agent Criminal Investigator assigned full-time to the Border Enforcement Security Task Force. The estimated total street value of the drugs is more than $13 million, according to Overbey's release. Meth ring bust yields nearly 60 indictments. 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. Among those named in the recent indictments, Columbia resident Keadrick Kebe Duke, 40, who faces charges for possession with intent to distribute and the distribution of crack cocaine stemming from a November 2018 event. Officers also recovered kilo presses; $45,000 in cash; and a .380 caliber pistol. She lived 30-40 minutes from the house, according to the government. Mosley and Jenkins were charged with committing these crimes following a conviction for a serious drug felony. 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. WBBJ 7 Eyewitness . Oct 12, 2020 Phone: (615) 476-7333, Copyright Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates | Sitemap, Adrian and Caroline made the process of my divorce far more comfortable than I imagined. Ongoing Drug Investigation in East Tennessee Results in 39 Indictments KNOXVILLE - Thirty-nine people have been indicted following a nearly two-year undercover investigation into a violent drug trafficking organization that has ties to at least three states. In 2020, Allen said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation saw 17 cases fatal and non-fatal involving nitazenes. More than 20 suspects arraigned in federal court following Middle Tennessee drug bust. James Edwin Perry, 95, of Tennessee Veterans Home in Clarksville, TN died at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020.A native of Ashland City, TN, he was born May 18, 1924 the son of the late James Franklin Perry and Louise Girard Perry. Seals started firing a pistol at them. TBI reports said a multi-agency investigation into drug overdoses in Middle Tennessee, resulted in the arrest of two individuals from California with ties to the Sinola Cartel. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Six people from Mexico are in federal custody in East Tennessee after a bust led to the discovery of more than 900 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated value of. He added that treatment options for addicts and people struggling have been limited due to restrictions in place because of the coronavirus. Your email address will not be published. In 2021, the TBI investigated 131 cases. The exact location of the crash wasn't immediately clear. The increase of heroin abuse has created an epidemic rate increase of overdoses and deaths. . 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. Law enforcement across Tennessee has seen "fake pills" manufactured to look like prescription medications (i.e., Percocet, Hydrocodone, Xanax) through the use of pill presses. The charges carry sentences of between five years and life in prison. 2023 www.commercialappeal.com. Updated: Aug 11, 2021 / 10:08 PM CDT. He was a Naval veteran, having served on the USS Chatelain, part of the 10th Atlantic Fleet, during WWII. Fentanyl is sold as heroin and often laced into other drugs such a heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine. TBI reports said officers made a seizure of drugs totaling approximately 47 kilograms, which included combinations of methamphetamine laced with fentanyl, cocaine laced with fentanyl, and pure fentanyl. He's being held in Hamilton County. 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. 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. The six were arrested Tuesday in northern Georgia. Doug Overbey, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, made the announcement Thursday. The penalties for these felonies range in length: Class B Felony: 8 to 30 years. Its a massive amount.. Another phenomenon is the introduction of counterfeit pills. A locked padlock But after a local and Did you encounter any technical issues? Hidden on the property in various vehicles, including a bus, they found a total of 864 kilograms of meth, according to records. Official websites use .gov Special Agents assigned to the Drug Investigation Division cooperate with local, state, and especially federal law enforcement agencies, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Tennessees United States Attorneys offices. While we continue to make progress reducing prescription drug issues, illicit opioid drug use continues to spawn the proliferation of heroin/fentanyl. All rights reserved. An investigation involving an alleged drug overdose at the Super 8 motel on East Andrew Johnson Highway Monday morning resulted in the arrest of four women, including three on heroin Posted: Aug 11, 2021 / 04:35 PM CDT. 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.. 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. Franklin, TN 37064 That led investigators to begin tracking Magana. NASHVILLE - Eric Jenkins, 40, of Nashville, Tennessee, the final defendant in a large drug distribution conspiracy was sentenced Tuesday to 210 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. Note: Internet Explorer has problems displaying the following charts. Authorities, records indicate, first became aware of her after two people who'd just bought meth from her were in a crash Dec. 12, 2019, in East Tennessee. (RELATED: I Want To Shove The Drugs Right Up The Noses Of The Gringos: Honduran President Accused By US Prosecutors Of Trafficking Drugs). Jenkins then called another individual and directed him to turn over $230,030 to law enforcement. 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.