tennessee drug bust 2020

The Gulf Coast HIDTA encompasses designated counties/parishes across the six states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Those indicted included Juan Carlos Brown, 34, of Muncie, who was charged with: by Larcom Web Design Marshals Service (USMS). Two vehicles used for the sale of illegal narcotics and several weapons were also seized. Jenkins was also charged with attempted possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine following a conviction for a serious drug felony. The TDDTF educates the public about the dangers of all scheduled drugs and works to support law enforcement and other stakeholders by supplying equipment, training, intelligence, and investigative tools to assist in strategically identifying, targeting, and prosecuting drug offenders. In 2021, the TBI investigated 131 cases. Mike Christen. In 2020, Allen said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation saw 17 cases fatal and non-fatal involving nitazenes. The massive operation was led by 29-year-old Humberto Morales of Tennessee who has been incarcerated at the Tennessee State Prison since 2014. Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Support Center, TBI State Academy Leadership Development Experience, The Tennessee Alliance for Drug-Endangered Children, Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (AHIDTA), Appalachia High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking (GCHIDTA), Governor's Task Force on Marijuana Eradication, Tennessee Department Of Treasury Tort Liability Claims, CALEA Accreditation Public Comment Portal. The primary objective and mission of the GTFME remains to provide public safety for the citizens of Tennesseethrough: Go to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). 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 . 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. U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Tennessee, Kilos of Heroin, Fentanyl & Cocaine Distributed in the Nashville Area, Lengthy Prison Sentences For Three Nashville Drug Dealers, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Last Of Gangster Disciples Sentenced In Racketeering & Drug Trafficking Conspiracy, Nashville Trio Facing Federal Human Trafficking & Drug Distribution Charges, Mid-State Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Distribution And Firearms Charges. Federal authorities have indicted 27 individuals in a massive, violent drug-trafficking scheme that operated out of a Tennessee state prison for years. Federal officials say late Monday and early Tuesday they served a search warrant on a "stash house" in Conyers, Ga., that Magana had frequently visited. 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.. WASHINGTON COUNTY -- More than $400,000 worth of illegal drugs and $250,000 cash were seized in a major drug bust in Washington County, part of a 20-month investigation into an alleged. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. "Once opened, the compartment was found to contain the suspected fentanyl and black tar heroin, as well as thousands of 30-milligram tablets believed to be Oxycodone.". June 24, 2020 Authorities charged 47 people and seized more than $1.7 million worth of methamphetamine following a nine-month drug investigation across the state, officials said Wednesday.. Phone: (615) 510-6404, 604 N High St Acting DEA Administrator Timothy Shea announced the bust at a press conference Wednesday. Your email address will not be published. Published The drugs in that bust were seized at the Otay Mesa port of entry to San Diego. Its a massive amount.. 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. If youve been arrested but didnt have enough of the controlled substance in your possession to be charged with manufacturing or distributing the drug, you will be charged with possession. 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. I commend the outstanding investigative efforts by DEA and our state and local law enforcement partners in this important and impactful case.". The Governors Task Force on Marijuana Eradication (GTFME) was created by Executive Order No. 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. The men wereidentified as Jovanni Aguiarviera, 27,and Luis Cruz, 28. 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. The case will be presented to a federal grand jury at a later date to consider an indictment against the defendants. Individuals indicted could face a minimum of 10 years in jail or a maximum of life in prison, according to the DOJ. . Doug Overbey, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, made the announcement Thursday. 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. 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. Elsewhere they found another 52 kilos of meth. 2023 www.columbiadailyherald.com. During the course of the undercover investigation, Jenkins indicated that he and his co-conspirators had used the Overhill apartment as a stash house and that fentanyl valued at $700,000 had been taken by robbers or law enforcement. 7:33 PM EDT, Wed October 14, 2020. Fentanyl In August 2010, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) designated Shelby County to be included in the Gulf Coast HIDTA. Those who are faced with the chargeinclude Columbia residents Brent Smiley" Burns, 38, and Tristen Jolly Tisby, 29, and Mt. Cody Seals got into a shootout with authorities in Hamilton County in January. February 8, 2023 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. Fax Line: 615-401-6626. 2023 www.commercialappeal.com. During the search, law enforcement recovered more than five kilograms of heroin; more than 3 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture; approximately 1 kilogram of fentanyl, and more than 32 grams of cocaine base. Narcan is an opiate antagonist that acts by blocking the effects of opiate drugs and reversing the event of an overdose. The increase of heroin abuse has created an epidemic rate increase of overdoses and deaths. The drugs were seized on October 2. The Middle Tennessee HIDTA Task Force is in the counties of Middle Tennessee as identified by the Appalachia HIDTA. oxycodone, and marijuana, between October 2017 and November 2020. . He was a Naval veteran, having served on the USS Chatelain, part of the 10th Atlantic Fleet, during WWII. 29 of these counties are in Tennessee. Discovery Company. "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. He's being held in Hamilton County. 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. These counties take in three Tennessee judicial districts. 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. Attorneys Robert S. Levine and Nani Gilkerson are prosecuting these cases. The post Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Announces Major Drug Bust Involving Fentanyl and Fentanyl Laced Drugs appeared first on Thunderbolt Radio. Middle District of Tennessee document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Troy was founded in 1825 as the original county seat of Obion County. Drug possession charges can be difficult to get dismissed because, unlike most crimes, the state does not have to prove your mental state or intent. . ( 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. A federal indictment unsealed Friday charged 27 individuals with a series of crimes including conspiracy to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The defendants are identified as Jose Cruz Landeroz-Tovar, Mariono Gonzales, Luis Albert Cruz, Aldolfo Dominguez, Luis Fernando Pena-Fierro and Maria Magana. Columbia, TN 38401 MEMPHIS, Tenn. Seventeen people have been charged in federal court with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana into and throughout West. Both men remain in theShelby County Jail on $1 million bonds each. Established in 1998, the Appalachia HIDTA is comprised of sixty-five, predominately rural counties located within the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Jenkins was initially arrested by law enforcement in June 2020, after a months-long investigation which resulted in the search of an apartment in the Overhill Apartment Complex in Nashville in February 2020, where the defendants were seen entering and exiting numerous times. Making sure that victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect. Marshals Service while in TDOC custody at the West Tennessee State Penitentiary, and transferred to federal pre-trial custody. 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. 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. Narcan The drugs were seized at an alleged stash house east of Los Angeles in Perris, California, on October 2. 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. 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. In total, the task force officers foundfive pounds of fentanyl, one pound of black tar heroin and approximately 2,500 unidentified pills. The increase of heroin abuse has created an epidemic rate increase of overdoses and deaths. Your email address will not be published. Authorities allege they've interrupted a methamphetamine supply line that stretched from Mexico to Georgia and up into East Tennessee and elsewhere. The concern there is that they are very violent and theyre very aggressive and they are largely responsible for much of the meth in this country, said Shea. JACKSON, Ga. - A big drug investigation that law enforcement dubbed Crystal Web in 12 Georgia . . TADEC is passionately committed to protecting the drug-endangered children of Tennessee by generating a renewed collaboration of resources from multidiscipline organizations and jurisdictions in the responsibility of protecting these children. The Department of Justice emphasizes that an indictment is merely an accusation. He utilized a large distribution network that ranged from Western Kentucky to Northwest Mississippi. Another phenomenon is the introduction of counterfeit pills. 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. "Operation Thundering Justice," led by special agents with the Drug Investigation Division of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, the Huntingdon Police Department, the McKenzie Police Department, and the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, began in January 2020. Hidden on the property in various vehicles, including a bus, they found a total of 864 kilograms of meth, according to records. MONROE COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) One person is facing charges Saturday morning after a drug bust in Monroe County. 2. Affidavits cite numerous undercover and controlled drug purchases, as well as seizures of heroin, fentanyl, and large amounts of cash. A multi-agency drug investigation led to the discovery of nearly a half million dollars worth of cocaine and the arrest of . 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. Federal Agencies and Law Enforcement Partners. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the unsealing of the federal criminal complaint today. 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. 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. Did you encounter any technical issues? December 23, 2020 3:54 PM. The individuals in question now face charges ranging from possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia to promotion of methamphetamine manufacture and felony evading arrest. In order to complete its mission, the division has original jurisdiction in opening cases involving illegal drugs and at any time could have more than 600 active cases. ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) - Three Hawkins County deputies were injured while conducting a drug investigation according to Sheriff Ronnie Lawson. North Memphis drug bust results in 40 indictments, 3 houses closed by: Stuart Rucker, Andrew Ellison. An official website of the United States government. Required fields are marked *. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeChristenCDH and on Instagram at @michaelmarco. Class C Felony: 3 to 15 years. Inside the house, they found equipment with possible residue "that can be used to convert liquid methamphetamine into crystal methamphetamine," an affidavit from Ted Francisco, a task force officer with Homeland Security Investigations, states. The six were arrested Tuesday in northern Georgia. He does not appear to have been charged with a federal offense. I 100% recommend Adrian H. Altshuler and Associates!! 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. Lawson says the incident happened early Thursday. The TBI/TDDTF is an integral member of this task force by operating as the Program Director. 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. A second indictment charges seven individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack . 30 pounds of THC-laced Skittles, sour chews seized in Tennessee drug bust, police say By Tanasia Kenney. Updated April 24, 2020 2:19 PM. 51 in 1983. In response to the threat of overdose to law enforcement and lab personnel, the TBI has issued its agents Narcan dispensers for emergency use to assist in the lifesaving efforts of personnel and public. Official websites use .gov 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 sheriff's office says according to a US Customs and Border Protection statement. 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. of fentanyl, and 3.5 grams of heroin. Besides the meth, the DEA found more than 880 pounds of cocaine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Lawler Parham is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. In the fight against contraband cell phones, we run into a brick wall time and time again, Parker said. Oct 12, 2020 TBI spokesperson Leslie Earhart said the 2022 Enhanced Criminal Enforcement Operation centered around pursuing illicit drugs in seven East Tennessee counties. Pulaski caregiver charged with stealing painkillers from an elderly patient, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. RELATED: THP dashcam video shows chase, shootout on Highway 27, RELATED: Corryton man shot after chase ends in shoot-out with THP troopers. 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. Inside the Doritos bag in his vehicle, authorities found 1.5 kilos of meth and about 500 grams of heroin, the affidavit states. The arrests and drug seizure was made possible after agents developed information about a shipment of drugs being sent to Murfreesboro from California. Updated: Aug 11, 2021 / 10:08 PM CDT. 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. Class E Felony: 1 to 6 years. 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. Please considersupportinghis work and that of other Daily Herald journalists by subscribing to the publication. At least two dozen people allegedly participated in a major Glynn County-based drug-trafficking operation for a lengthy amount of time, law enforcement officials said Wednesday. 719 Church St., Suite 3300 July 13, 2020. The charges carry sentences of between five years and life in prison. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. of methamphetamine (ice), 500 fentanyl pills, and an additional 1.25 lbs. The penalties for these felonies range in length: Class B Felony: 8 to 30 years. 29 of these counties are in . One trooper was shot in the leg. According to the release, the saturation came on the heels of Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box and Lake County Sheriff Brian Avery recognizing the drug and violent crime issues within their jurisdictions and requesting assistance from Sterlin Wright, Special Agent in Charge of the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. 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. Jackson, TN Seventeen individuals have been charged in federal court with operating a multiplestate drug trafficking organization. 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. 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. In Tennessee, its illegal to possess a controlled substance without having a medical prescription for the substance. There are currently six DID Special Agents dedicated to combating prescription drug diversion and are stationed throughout the state. Law enforcement is also witnessing, with heroin, an increase in the presence of Fentanyl (a powerful synthetic oppiate analgesic similar to but more potent than morphine), and its analogs. A Warner Bros. The night of Jan. 9, Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers tried to pull Seals over in Hamilton County on Highway 27. The task force is made up of TBI Special Agents and officers from local law enforcement agencies. The exact location of the crash wasn't immediately clear. Agents had been tracking Magana for weeks through wire intercepts and other means, according to records. 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. The technology would essentially jam the signals of cellphones smuggled into prisons. 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. 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. Pictures posted to the GBI Facebook page showed what amounts to millions of doses of drugs , the agency said in a Tuesday. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has announced a major drug bust in Middle Tennessee. 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 more than $13 million, authorities say. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the unsealing of the federal criminal complaint today. 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. A 28-year-old woman was arrested Saturday following a drug bust during which police found more than 183 grams of suspected heroin/fentanyl, the Anne Arundel County Police Department said. Painkillers:Pulaski caregiver charged with stealing painkillers from an elderly patient. All rights reserved. Seals started firing a pistol at them. He went into the building, and when he came back out he was carrying a Doritos bag, according to records. According to court documents, the DEA and local law enforcement partners launched an investigation into the drug-trafficking organization in June 2019. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. He'd just bought drugs from a woman at the center of a federal investigation, officials say.