Department activity as of February 20, 2012

Three people were arrested by the sheriff's department during a burglary in progress on Holmes Creek Road on Friday, February 17.

38 year old Rodney Hugo Gora of Short Mountain Highway, Smithville; 47 year old Brent Bernard Tolbert of Walling; and 28 year old Sandra Lynn Culwell of Parsley Road, Smithville are all charged with burglary and theft of property over $500. Bond for each is $7,500 and they will be in court on March 8

A deputy responded to a call of a burglary in progress on Friday, February 17 at a residence on Holmes Creek. Road. Entry was made through a front door.

Upon arrival, the officer found Gora, Tolbert, and Culwell standing beside of a truck that was loaded with numerous items taken from the house including a birdcage, well pressure tank, refrigerator, jigsaw, mailbox, well pump, assorted wires, sheet metal, aluminum, and buckets of nails and screws. All three were placed under arrest and the stolen items were returned to the owner.

Meanwhile, two people, 24 year old James Edward Gilles and 24 year old Gennia Leigh Wilson both of Old Snow Hill Road, Dowelltown are each charged with animal cruelty. Bond for each is $2,500 and they are to appear in court on February 23.

On Friday, February 3 a deputy responded to a residence on Old Snow Hill Road to a complaint of animal cruelty. Upon arrival, the deputy found a starved boxer mixed dog, approximately one year old. He said the animal could hardly stand. It was determined that the dog belonged to both Gilles and Wilson. While the officer was there, Gilles arrived at the residence with food for the dog. The dog was taken to a local veterinarian and as of Monday, February 13 the animal was still there needing medical attention. Both Gilles and Wilson were arrested on February 13.

26 year old Melinda Beth Murphy of East Broad Street, Smithville is charged with two counts of forgery. Her bond is $7,000 and she will be in court on March 1.

On Thursday, February 9, Murphy forged a check in the amount of $400. The check was taken to a Smithville bank and cashed. The victim had not signed nor authorized anyone else to sign the check. On the same day, Thursday, February 9, Murphy forged another check, this one in the amount of $612.30. She took that check to an Alexandria bank and cashed it. The victim had not signed nor authorized anyone else to sign it. Murphy was arrested on February 16. Alexandria Police also have charges against her.

More defendants have been picked up by the sheriff's department in the recent drug investigation. The following have been arrested on sealed indictments returned by the grand jury:

30 year old Brandon Wayne Caldwell (AKA) Worm: Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) Bond $80,000.

23 year old Brandon Matthew Byford (AKA) Troll of Bell Street Apartments, Smithville: Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug; sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone. Bond $60,000

32 year old Christopher David Hall of Bon Aqua: Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone. Bond $30,000.

All will appear in criminal court for arraignment on Friday, February 24

Department activity as of February 13, 2012

Four more persons have been arrested named in sealed indictments on drug charges returned by the grand jury earlier this month as part of an undercover investigation by the sheriff's department.

The following are those defendants and their charges:

36 year old Michael Stewart Brown of McMinnville. Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone. Bond set at $30,000. He was arrested on Monday, February 6.

35 year old Teddy Allen Snipes of Smithville. Sale and delivery of a schedule IV drug (2 counts) ($40,000 bond). He was arrested on February 6

50 year old Dennis Charles Ellis of Smithville, Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug ( $30,000 bond). He was arrested on February 6.

33 year old Samuel Wade Walker of Smithville. Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ( $40,000 bond).

In addition to the sealed indictment on the drug charge, the sheriff's department has charged Walker and another man in a separate case with theft of property over $1,000.

Walker and 29 year old Nathan Joe Trapp of Smithville went to Smithville Rental Center on East Broad Street Tuesday, February 2 and allegedly stole 940 pounds of metal racks valued at more than $1,000, taking it to a local recycling center where they sold it. Bond for each is $5,000 on this charge and they will be in court on February 16.

In other cases, 34 year old Joseph Eric Kile of Smithville is charged with violation of the sex offender registry. His bond is $25,000 and he will be in court on February 16.

On Thursday, February 9 Kile was picked by a sheriff's department detective for violation of probation. An NCIC check showed that he was a violent sex offender. Kile admitted to living in DeKalb County for about a week. He violated the sex offender registry by not registering within the time mandated by law.

20 year old Victoria Chantel Tate of Smithville is charged with assault, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct. Her bond is $4,500 and she will be in court on February 23.

While two correctional officers were escorting inmates on foot from court back to the jail on Thursday, February 9, a sheriff's department sergeant saw a woman, identified as Tate, run toward the inmates trying to speak to one of them. As she approached, Tate ran into one of the correctional officers, causing him to fear bodily injury. Tate was placed under arrest but as the sergeant was attempting to handcuff her, she kept trying to pull away from him. Her actions caused public alarm and safety issues.

35 year old Scotty Dale Farmer of Hickman is charged with aggravated burglary and theft of property over $500. He was arrested on Friday, February 10. His bond is $10,000 and he will be in court on February 16

On Wednesday, January 18, Farmer allegedly entered a residence on Hickman Road by prying open a back door. He allegedly stole a diamond ring, two silver rings, two knives, and an ipod touch with a total value of more than $500.

20 year old Clay Andrew Baine of Smithville was issued a citation for possession of alcohol by a minor after being involved in a recent traffic accident on Lakeview Drive. Upon arrival, the investigating officer made contact with Bain who had a can of Keystone lite beer in a cup holder of the vehicle. He will be in court on March 22

Department activity as of February 7, 2012

Four more defendants were arrested over the weekend, charged in sealed indictments returned last week by the grand jury as a result of an undercover drug investigation by the sheriff's department.

The latest to be picked up and their charges include the following:

27 year old Anthony Joe Hamilton of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) ($80,000 bond)

43 year old Kimberly Ann Patterson of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (2 counts) ($60,000 bond)

30 year old David Glenn Sparks of Quebeck - Theft of property over $1,000 ($20,000 bond)

35 year old Bobby Wayne Pinegar, Jr.- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) ($80,000 bond)

Hamilton, Patterson, Sparks, and Pinegar along with the thirty nine others who were indicted and arrested last week will appear for arraignment in criminal court on Friday, February 24. Twelve more who were indicted in this investigation have yet to be arrested.

Meanwhile in regular weekly crime reports, 50 year old Sabra Maurine Bussell of Halls Hollow Road, Smithville is charged with DUI and introduction of drugs into a penal institution. She was further issued a citation for failure to carry a drivers license and registration for her vehicle, hit and run, and failure of due care. Her bond totals $6,500 and she will be in court March 8.

On Thursday February 2, Bussell was involved in a hit and run accident. After stopping Bussell's vehicle, the arresting officer noticed that she had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person. Her speech was slurred and she was unsteady on her feet. Bussell performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. She submitted to a blood test.

Bussell could not provide a valid drivers license or registration. She also had a 1.75 liter open container of rum and failed to show due care.

Later, as correctional officers were removing her from the cell into the booking area of the jail, Bussell dropped a plastic bag containing marijuana, two pills believed to be soma, and three pills believed to be Valium.

26 year old Stephen Hunter Pugh of Woodbury Highway, Liberty is charged with a second offense of driving under the influence and driving on a revoked license. He was issued citations for not wearing a seatbelt, violation of the registration law, violation of the financial responsibility law, simple possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of the open container law. Pugh will be in court on February 9 and his bond totals $4,500.

On Thursday, February 2 a deputy stopped to perform a welfare check on a vehicle parked in the roadway on L. Hendrixson Road. The driver, Pugh had apparently passed out. The deputy awoke Pugh, who had very slurred speech and an alcoholic beverage in his hand. Pugh was very unsteady on his feet and had trouble staying awake. He performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. He submitted to a blood test. A computer check revealed his license to be revoked for driving under the influence on May 14, 2009 in DeKalb County. Pugh could not show proof of insurance or registration and he was not wearing a seatbelt. He also had a small amount of marijuana on his person. Two syringes were found in the floorboard of the vehicle, which Pugh admitted belonged to him.

26 year old Melinda Beth Murphy is charged with theft of property under $500. Her bond totals $2,500 and she will be in court on February 16. According to Sheriff Ray, Murphy allegedly took three blank checks valued at less than $500 from a residence on Evergreen Circle. She was arrested on Friday, February 3.

21 year old Craig Randall Whitaker of Lost Creek Lane, Carthage is charged with driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on February 16.

On Saturday, February 4 a deputy stopped to do a welfare check on a vehicle parked on the side of the road on Highway 70. The door on the driver's side was open. Whitaker, the driver, was passed out under the steering wheel. The arresting officer initially could not wake him up. DeKalb EMS was called to the scene to check on him. Whitaker had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet. He performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. He submitted to a blood test and admitted to the deputy that he had consumed too much alcohol. Whitaker was believed to be under the influence of either alcohol or drugs.

44 year old Andy Butch May of Midway Road, Smithville is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on February 16. On Sunday, February 5 the sheriff's office received a call about someone walking in the roadway on Highway 70. Upon arrival, the deputy found May beside the road. May had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was very unsteady on his feet. May admitted to the officer that he had too much to drink. For his safety, May was arrested to get him off the roadway.

Department activity as of February 4, 2012

The Sheriff's Department spent the better part of the day Friday rounding up defendants charged in a 2010-11 undercover drug investigation.

Forty nine of the fifty five people named in sealed indictments handed down by the grand jury Monday are charged with selling drugs ranging from dilaudid, suboxone, hydrocodone, methamphetamine, roxycodone, morphine, cocaine, oxycodone, xanax, heroin, and marijuana. Three of the people indicted were found with meth labs and three others were indicted on theft charges.

Many of those arrested Friday were brought to the county fire department's main station on King Ridge Road which served as the sheriff's department's outlet for booking the defendants during the day.

A total of seventy seven drug buys were made through this investigation. This is our 2010-11 drug round up that we're doing today. These are undercover buys that we've made during that time span. We tried, in December, to do our indictments through the grand jury but for some reason something came up and we had to put it off.

We have made seventy seven total drug buys in this roundup. There have been thirty two buys of dilaudid, fourteen of suboxone, nine of hydrocodone, five of methamphetamine, five of roxycodone, three of morphine, three of cocaine, two of oxycodone, two buys of xanax, one heroin buy, and one buy of marijuana.

There were a total of forty nine drug defendants along with the three meth lab defendants, and three people charged with the thefts which makes a total of fifty five defendants in this roundup. The three defendants with meth labs, we couldn't charge them at the time that we found the meth labs for various reasons.

On the drug buys, we made them in different areas of the county including east of Smithville from Ragland Bottom to the western part of the county around Alexandria and both the northern and southern parts of the county. We also conducted undercover drug buys around the Short Mountain Road area and in the city limits of Smithville.

Some of these buys were in the drug free zone or school zones which are drug free. What that actually means is that when we charge somebody with that, violation of the drug free zone, it ups it to a felony charge class. So if somebody gets charged with a C felony, it ups it to a B felony. Its also a must serve of 100% of the jail time upon conviction. The drug free zone is 1,000 feet of any public or private school, preschool, child care agency, public library, recreational center, or recreational parks such as a ballpark or something like that.

I want to thank my department for the job that they are doing in our county. I am very proud to employ people with the professionalism and the desire to work at their jobs so that a difference can be made for the citizens of the county to enjoy their quality of life. Undercover drug operations such as this one today, our day to day drug arrests and burglary and theft arrests are the work that I have promised the citizens of DeKalb County and I am very proud of what we have accomplished thus far.

I encourage anyone who knows anybody that is selling drugs to call our drug tip line at 464-6400. We're also on the web at www.dekalbsherifftn.com, which has places, links, on the left hand side of the web page where you see "crime stoppers" and "stop drug dealers". You can get on there and share your information. We can gather it off of there. You can contact me at the jail and tell anything that you know. Everything is confidential.

Those indicted who have been arrested so far and their charges include the following:

40 year old Tonya Gay Silcox of Nashville- Theft over $1,000 (Bond $20,000)

42 year old Wendy Youngblood Whittemore- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (2 counts) (Bond $40,000)

24 year old Alexandra Christina Teachout of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) (Bond $60,000)

37 year old Brian Matthew Lasser of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Bond $30,000). He was also issued a citation for simple possession of a schedule IV drug after officers found six blue pills believed to be Valium in an oxycodone pill bottle while serving the indictment on him. He will be in court on the citation February 9.

50 year old Terry Lee Price of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) (Bond $80,000)

49 year old Linda Carol Barrett of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (3 counts) ($90,000 bond)

31 year old Misty Dawn Barnes of Watertown- Initiation of a process to manufacture methamphetamine ($40,000 bond)

43 year old James Lee Adcock of Smithville- Fraudulent use of a credit card ($20,000 bond)

28 year old Warren Brandon Glasby of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug and sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($70,000 bond)

41 year old Randy Allen Caldwell of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug and sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($70,000 bond)

29 year old Terry Raybon Collins of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts); sale and delivery of a schedule II drug ($110,000 bond)

30 year old Amanda Mae Hicks of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone; conspiracy to sell and deliver a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($60,000 bond)

63 year old Curtis Charles Jones of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug ($30,000 bond)

21 year old Jacob Terry Maynard of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug ($30,000 bond)

46 year old Marla Adele Turner of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (2 counts) ($40,000 bond)

20 year old Eric Dewayne Judkins of Dowelltown- Sale and delivery of a counterfeit controlled substance; sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone.

26 year old Joshua Joel Bain of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule VI drug in a drug free zone ($20,000 bond)

41 year old Terry Eugene Dyer of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($40,000 bond)

34 year old Lisa Michelle Porterfield of Dowelltown- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (2 counts); sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($100,000 bond)

23 year old Travis Eric Patterson of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone; sale and delivery of a schedule III ($50,000 bond)

30 year old Kenneth "Kenny" Bain of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone ($30,000 bond)

29 year old Mary Diane Roller of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone ($30,000 bond)

37 year old Billy Wayne Crook of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts)

56 year old Susan Jeana Brown of Smithville- Sale and delivery of schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) ($80,000 bond)

Steven Andrew Cantrell of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (2 counts). While serving the indictment, officers issued a citation against Cantrell for possession of drug paraphernalia after observing a glass pipe, 2 glass bongs, and a marijuana crusher in the residence. Officers also discovered pills in a container believed to be zanax. Cantrell's mother, 50 year old Darice Cantrell who was at the residence with her son, admitted that those pills belonged to her. She was charged with possession of a schedule IV drug. They will appear in court on the citations on February 23.

37 year old Micah Daniel Murphy of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug; sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) ($110,000 bond)

22 year old LaTroya Lanay Bain of Sparta- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone ($30,000 bond)

26 year old Melinda Beth Murphy of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone; conspiracy to sell and deliver a schedule III drug in a drug free zone. ($50,000 bond). While at the jail, she was observed trying to conceal something in a body cavity. She later produced a container from her body cavity which contained three hydrocodone pills, which is a schedule III drug. As a result of the discovery, Murphy was further charged with introduction of drugs into a penal institution. Her bond on that charge is $1,500 and she will be in court on February 16

31 year old William Wayne Graham of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug; sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (cocaine) over .5 grams. ($70,000 bond)

24 year old Gary Christopher Ponder of Dowelltown- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug; sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($70,000 bond)

32 year Hani Mohamad (B.J.) Ittayem of Smithville- Initiation of the manufacture of methamphetamine ( $40,000 bond)

48 year old Lou Ann Self Cantrell of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (2 counts( ($40,000 bond)

47 year old Jeffery Scott Ponder of Dowelltown- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($40,000 bond)

26 year old Antonio Cezar Wilford of Cookeville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ( 2 counts); sale and delivery of a schedule I drug (black tar heroin) in a drug free zone. ($130,000 bond)

43 year old Stephen Kirk Estes of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug ($30,000 bond)

26 year old David Franklin Turner of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone; sale and delivery of a schedule III drug. ( $50,000 bond)

30 year old Michael Chad Owens of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($40,000 bond)

44 year old Mark Randall (Truck) Robinson of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($40,000 bond)

34 year old Aron Dewayne Ponder of Dowelltown- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ( 2 counts) ( $80,000 bond).

Department activity as of January 30, 2012

The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department has arrested a Smithville man in a local theft investigation. 25 year old Kenny Waymon Dyal, Jr. of Floyd Drive, Smithville is charged with theft of property over $1,000 and evading arrest. Dyal is also cited for simple possession of a schedule III and IV controlled substance. His bond is $15,000 and he will be in court on February 16. Dyal became a suspect after a deputy went to take a theft report at a residence on Oak Drive in Smithville on Wednesday, January 25. The officer then went to Dyal's grandmother's home on Andrew Street in Smithville, where Dyal was staying. After Dyal's grandmother gave the deputy consent to search the home, he found in the living room a 50 inch Samsung television and three remote controls, which were taken from the residence on Oak Drive

Later, a deputy spotted Dyal on foot at Tommy Harrell Street and called out for him to stop. The deputy wanted to question Dyal about the theft. But when he saw the officer, Dyal began running. Another officer, who was in the area, caught Dyal at the back of a residence. Dyal was searched and a white bottle was found in his left front pocket. The bottle contained half of a pill believed to be suboxone and two pills believed to be xanax.

23 year old Cory Alan Bradford of Cookeville Highway, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence and cited for failure to maintain lane of travel, failure to change the address on his drivers license, violation of the financial responsibility law, no insurance, and violation of the registration law. On Wednesday, January 25 Bradford was operating a motor vehicle on the Old Blue Springs Road when he was stopped by a deputy for failing to maintain a lane of travel. He had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet. Bradford performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks and he submitted to a blood test. Bradford admitted to drinking beer and taking a hydrocodone pill. He could not provide proof of vehicle registration or financial responsibility. He had also failed to change the address on his drivers license.

24 year old Amanda Brooke Washer of Ike Adcock Road is cited for failing to maintain lane of travel and texting while driving. She will be in court on February 1. On Wednesday, January 25 a deputy spotted Washer driving a vehicle and weaving on the roadway. At one point, she allegedly went halfway across the oncoming lane. She was stopped at the intersection of Highway 70 east and Smith Road. Washer admitted to texting while driving. Washer had a passenger with her, 35 year old Michael Odell Bly of Bell Street, Smithville. A K-9 officer from the Smithville Police Department came to the scene and his dog made a pass around Washer's vehicle. The dog alerted on the automobile. Bly, who was pulled from the vehicle, jerked away from the officers as they started to search him. Officers forced Bly to the ground and found on him around the crotch area three used hypodermic needles and a used straw. Bly was charged with resisting arrest and cited for simple possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond is $1,000 and he will be in court on February 2.

32 year old Bobby Jason Taylor of North Mill Street, Dowelltown is charged with hindering a secured creditor. He was arrested on Thursday, January 26. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court on February 2. Taylor sold a Polaris four wheeler, valued at more than $1,000 but then reported it stolen on Sunday, January 15. After investigating, a sheriff's department detective learned that Taylor had sold the four wheeler but that Liberty State Bank was the lien holder and the pay off on the loan was $3,857.

44 year old Paul David Johnson of Old Snow Hill Road, Dowelltown is charged with simple possession of a schedule VI controlled substance. He was also cited for running a stop sign, violation of the financial responsibility law, no insurance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on February 9. On Sunday January 29, Johnson was operating a motor vehicle on Highway 70 when he was stopped by a deputy for running two stop signs at Midway Road and Smith Road. He gave the officer consent to search and found in the center console was a metal box containing marijuana in a bag. Johnson could not provide proof of insurance and upon a search of the vehicle, the deputy found rolling papers along with 3.5 ounces of marijuana.

44 year old William Boyce Butler of Lee Braswell Road, Smithville is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court on February 9. On Sunday, January 29, Butler allegedly assaulted his girlfriend by choking her, pulling out some of her hair, and throwing her to the ground.

Department activity as of January 23, 2012

An 18 year old Smithville man has been charged with theft of several road signs belonging to the county and the cities of Smithville, Alexandria, and Dowelltown. Robert Karl May of Allen Ferry Road is charged with four counts of theft of property under $500. His bond totals $4,000 and he will be in court February 9.

Following an investigation of stolen road signs from the county, City of Alexandria, City of Smithville, and City of Dowelltown, detectives of The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department found signs in an outbuilding belonging to May on Allen Ferry Road. The discovery was made on Monday, January 9. May was in possession of the following signs: Indian Mound Road, Big Woods Road, Sink Creek Road, Lowery Road, Cordell Love Road, McGinnis Road, Herman Road, Creek Road, Peeled Chestnut Road, and Davis Road belonging to DeKalb County; a Skyline Drive sign taken from the City of Alexandria; Morgan Drive, Holmes Creek Road, Miller Road, and Golf Club Drive signs from the City of Smithville; and a Bank Street sign from the City of Dowelltown. The signs are valued at $75.00 each.

Meanwhile, 24 year old James Edward Gilles of Bell Street Apartments, Smithville is charged with aggravated assault. His bond is $3,500 and he will be in court on February 9.

An officer responded to a fight on Nashville Highway near Dale Ridge Road on Tuesday, January 17. Upon arrival, the deputy was met by Gilles and Nathaniel Tippins. According to Tippins, he stayed at Gilles' house the night before and that Gilles got mad accusing Tippins of taking his girlfriend's medications. Tippins also reported that Gilles had told him to remove his clothes so he could search him. When Tippins refused, Gilles became more upset and tried to strangle him, which was apparent by the marks on Tippins' neck. Tippins reported that he got away from Gilles and into a vehicle. The two met up again at the location on Nashville Highway where the fight occurred.

41 year old Charles Christopher Bates of Washington Street, Sparta is charged with a third offense of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. His bond is $7,000 and he will be in court on February 9.

A deputy went to the Cookeville Highway area on Saturday January 21 in response to a complaint of a reckless driver who had struck a guardrail near a bridge. The officer spotted a vehicle matching the description and caught up with it at Mapco Express. The deputy saw the driver get out of the automobile at the store and noticed that he was very unsteady on his feet. The officer approached and began speaking with the man, Bates, who had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person. Bates admitted that he had been drinking and that he had hit the guardrail while driving, which apparently caused the bumper to come off the vehicle. Bates placed the bumper in the automobile with him and then left the scene. Bates submitted to but performed poorly on several field sobriety tasks. He also submitted to a blood alcohol test. His prior DUI convictions were in Putnam and White counties.

34 year old Brady Gordon Cunningham is charged with introduction of a controlled substance into a penal institution where prisoners are quartered. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on February 2.

Cunningham was arrested by the Smithville Police Department on Saturday, January 21 and brought to the sheriff's department. While correctional officers were searching Cunningham, they found on him a prescription bottle that contained three yellow pills believed to be Hydrocodone with Ibuprofen. These pills were in a bottle that did not belong to Cunningham.

43 year old Theodore William Faulkner of Indiana is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court on February 2.

Deputies responded to a physical domestic at Floating Mill Campground on Saturday, January 21. The officers spoke with a female who said that her husband, Faulkner, became violent and assaulted her by throwing dishes and a fruit cup at her. He also allegedly chest bumped her. The officers spoke with Faulkner, who had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person. Faulkner admitted to having been drinking and that he and his wife had been arguing. It was determined that Faulkner was the primary aggressor.

Department activity as of January 17, 2012

A 32 year old woman has been charged with vandalism of a residence at the housing project in Liberty. Bond for Robin Lee Keaton is $1,000 and she will be in court on February 9.

On Sunday, January 15 a deputy responded to Cedar Street in Liberty where someone was reported to be breaking out windows of a building belonging to the Smithville Housing Authority. Two windows were found to be broken including one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom. The complainant stated that Keaton was the person responsible. When confronted Keaton allegedly admitted to the vandalism.

A DeKalb County High School student, 18 year old Juan Carillo Perez of Talley Road, Smithville, has been cited for simple possession and carrying a prohibited weapon. He will be in court on February 2.

On Thursday, January 12 a student told the school resource officer that Perez left school and then returned. Principal Kathy Hendrix and the SRO got Perez out of class. Perez submitted to but performed poorly on all sobriety tasks. He allegedly had bloodshot eyes. Perez consented to a search of his vehicle and a marijuana cigarette was found inside the automobile along with a bb gun which was made to look like a real gun. Perez allegedly admitted to having smoked some marijuana during lunch time. He said the marijuana cigarette belonged to him.

45 year old Bobby McMen Hullett of Smithville is charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and filing a false report. His bond totals $4,000 and he will be in court February 2.

On Friday, January 13 deputies and detectives of the sheriff's department went to Hullet's home on Morse College Road to pick up a 17 year old runaway who was believed to be at this residence. Hullet denied knowing the whereabouts of the runaway, telling the officer that he had not seen him. Upon searching the home, the officer found the runaway hiding in Hullet's bedroom closet. Hullett is charged with contributing to the unruly behavior of the child by allowing him to stay at his residence knowing that the child had run away from home.

45 year old Mark Gregory Brock of Webb Lane, Smithville is charged with a first offense of driving under the influence. Brock was also issued a citation for failure to maintain his lane of travel. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court February 9.

On Sunday, January 15 a deputy got behind a vehicle on Highway 56 south after observing him crossing the center line of the highway several times. The officer stopped the automobile on Highway 56 south at Joe Tittsworth Road. Brock was identified as the driver. The deputy noticed that Brock's speech was very slurred and he had a very strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person. Brock submitted to but performed poorly on several field sobriety tasks. Brock was very unsteady on his feet. He also submitted to a blood alcohol test.

41 year old Kathy Jo Massengail of Keltonburg Road is charged with domestic assault. Her bond is $2,500 and she will be in court February 9.

On Sunday, January 15, a deputy responded to a residence on Keltonburg Road to a physical domestic. Upon arrival the officer saw a man who had a towel wrapped around his left forearm. The man's arm was bleeding. He had a busted lip, a scratch on his nose, and a red pump knot on his forehead. The man and Massengail told the officer that they began arguing and that she punched him several times in the face. The man got mad and ran his hand through a window. It was determined that Massengail was the primary aggressor.

Sheriff's Department Activity Report for 2011

Sheriff's Department Activity Report for the calendar year January 1, 2011-December 31, 2011.

The report shows a total of 7886 incident calls for the year. These are dispatched calls, not self-initiated calls (incidents that officers respond to on routine patrols). Self-initiated calls are not included in these counts:

The report breaks down as follows:

Calls Reported
Wrecks- 758
4 wheeler calls- 61
911 calls- 205
Abandoned Vehicles- 18
Animal calls- 320
Assaults- 37
Armed Suspects- 14
Fires and Fire Alarms- 153
Break-ins- 594
Burglar Alarms- 476
Child Custody Exchanges- 24
Children in roadway- 12
Civil Matters- 48
Debris in roadway- 61
Disturbing the peace- 147
Deaths- 33
Domestic violence- 512
Drownings- 6
Drug trafficking- 66
Funeral Escorts- 266
Extra Patrols- 54
Fights- 111
Gas drive-offs- 8
Harassments- 40
Indecent exposure- 3
Investigations- 427
Vehicle lockouts- 982
Medical Assists- 213
Possible D.U.I.- 171
Public Intoxication calls- 15
Rape- 7
Reckless Drivers- 316
Recover Property- 51
Robbery- 18
Seizures- 17
Shots fired- 71
Shop lifter- 4
Stranded motorists- 118
Someone threatened- 100
Stabbing- 5
Attempt/ and Suicide calls- 33
Suspicious persons/vehicles- 552
Traffic Hazards- 93
Trespassing- 15
Unruly juveniles- 43
Unwanted guests- 192
Vandalism- 85
Wanted Persons- 80
Welfare checks- 251

Total 7886 incident calls

Department activity as of January 09, 2012

Two men, 42 year old Victor Glen Gingerich and 51 year old Clifton Eugene Brown, were arrested by the sheriff's department over the weekend in separate domestic assault incidents

Gingerich of Brooke Lane, Sparta is charged with assault, domestic assault, and resisting arrest. His bond is $7,500 and he will be in court on January 19. Deputies responded to a residence on Brooke Lane in DeKalb County on a domestic call Sunday, January 8. Officers knocked on the door but no one answered even though they could see Gingerich inside the home. An open cell phone was found on the porch and the officers could hear movement coming from inside the house. Witnesses heard a female say "don't hit me or push me". They also heard Gingerich say that he was going to kill the female. Witnesses further reported hearing a loud bang from inside as if someone had been thrown against the wall. After the officers forcibly entered the home and broke up the fight, Gingerich allegedly elbowed a deputy in the face. Refusing to be handcuffed, Gingerich had to be taken down to the floor by the deputies. After Gingerich was handcuffed, he allegedly spit in the face of an officer.

Brown is charged with domestic assault. He was also cited for simple possession. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court February 16. Brown was arrested Saturday, January 7 on Halls Hollow Road after allegedly assaulting a woman by pushing her against furniture, cutting her arm, slapping her, and throwing her to the floor. Brown also allegedly disconnected the phones so she could not call for help. As Brown was being arrested and padded down by the officer, a metal bottle containing two pills was found in his front pocket. The pills were believed to be soma.

33 year old James Fredrick Summers of Hodges Road, Smithville is charged with a fourth offense of driving on a revoked license. His bond is $6,000 and he will be in court on January 12. On Friday, January 6 a deputy pulled over Summers' vehicle on Highway 146 for no seatbelts. A computer check revealed that his license had been revoked for a DUI and other offenses in DeKalb and Warren County.

63 year old Curtis Charles Jones is charged with a second offense of driving on a revoked license. His bond is $3,000 and he will be in court on January 12. A deputy stopped Jones' vehicle on Highway 146 Friday, January 6 because he had prior knowledge that Jones' license was revoked. A computer check confirmed that Jones' license had been revoked for a DUI in DeKalb County on October 13, 2011.

26 year old Robert Justin Luna of Joe Turner Road, Smithville is charged with theft of property under $500. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court on February 2. Luna allegedly took two steel beams from property on Joe Turner Road Friday, January 6 and sold them at a local recycling business.

49 year old Earl Joseph Yost of Brooke Lane, Sparta is charged with a third offense of driving under the influence. He was also cited for failure to maintain lane of travel. His bond totals $4,500 and he will be in court on February 16. Yost was involved in a property damage accident on Highway 70 Saturday, January 7. He was operating a vehicle and allegedly left his lane of travel and went off the roadway resulting in a one vehicle crash with no injuries. He had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet. Yost submitted to and performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. He submitted to a blood test. He was believed to have been under the influence of alcohol and or drugs.

23 year old Bailey E. Craft of Stone Hill Road, Mount Juliet is cited for driving on a suspended license and violation of the registration law. She will be in court on March 14. An officer stopped Craft's vehicle on Highway 70 Saturday, January 7 for expired tags. A computer check revealed her drivers license to be suspended for failure to satisfy a citation in Davidson County.

33 year old Cesar Santos is cited for driving on a suspended license and driving on a roadway lane for traffic (failure to maintain lane of travel). He will be in court on March 14. A deputy pulled over Santos' vehicle on New Home Road Saturday, January 7 after he observed it cross the center line several times. A computer check revealed that Santos' license was suspended for failure to satisfy a citation.

51 year old Jayma Royce Holcomb of South College Street, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court February 16. Holcomb was operating a vehicle on Highway 56 Sunday, January 8 when she became involved in a property damage accident. She had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person and she was unsteady on her feet. Holcomb submitted to and performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. She also took a blood test. She was believed to be under the influence of alcohol and or drugs.

29 year old Randy E. Johnson of Cookeville Highway is cited for driving on a suspended license and violation of the open container law. He will be in court on February 15. On Sunday, January 8, a deputy pulled over Johnson and a computer check revealed that his license were suspended in Georgia. Johnson had an open can of beer in the vehicle.

Department activity as of January 03, 2012

A Smithville man has been arrested for a theft in Alexandria with more charges against him forthcoming. The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department has charged 27 year old Michael Brandon Colwell of Cantrell Road, Smithville with theft of property under $500, resisting arrest, and unlawful possession of a weapon. His bond is $4,500 and he will be in court January 5. Colwell was arrested on Monday, January 2 for allegedly taking twenty dollars in cash from the wallet of someone on Curtis Avenue in Alexandria. He said Colwell admitted to the theft.

Officers went to a residence early Monday morning on Gin Alley Road in search of Colwell but did not find him. Colwell was there when the officers returned later. Colwell was placed under arrest and handcuffed. Upon a pat down search, officers found on his side, a buoy knife with a five and three quarter inch blade. During the arrest, Colwell became violent. Colwell told the arresting officers that he was not going to jail and tried to jerk away from them several times. The officers had to take him to the ground. They also forcibly put him in the patrol car.

While making the arrest, officers saw some things in the residence that were not there on their first visit including a chainsaw, guitars, and radios that appeared to have been ripped out of vehicles. The officers confiscated those items and brought them to the jail for a further investigation. Later in the day residents in the area began calling the Alexandria Police Department reporting thefts. The items taken in those thefts were among the things found at the residence where Colwell was arrested..

32 year old Eric Steven Pollard of Lowery Lane, McMinnville is cited for violation of the registration law, violation of the light law, and violation of the financial responsibility law. His court date is January 25. On Tuesday, January 3 a deputy spotted a white truck with a head light out on Highway 56. The officer stopped the vehicle but the driver, Pollard, could not show proof of insurance and registration.

20 year old Travis Joe Davenport of Eagle Creek Road, Smithville is charged with driving on a suspended license. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court on January 19. Davenport was stopped by an officer on Highway 56 Saturday, December 31. The deputy making the traffic stop had prior knowledge that Davenport's license was suspended because he had issued him a citation for the same offense on November 14. Davenport's license was suspended for failure to satisfy a citation on October 28, 2011

23 year old Charles R. Riedley of Wildwood Drive, Smithville is charged with a second offense of driving under the influence. He was also issued a citation for reckless driving and violation of the implied consent law. Riedley will be in court on January 5. His bond is $3,000. on December 28, an officer pulled over Riedley's vehicle on Wildwood Drive for erratic driving. Riedley had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet. He performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. Riedly refused to submit to a blood test. His first DUI offense was on November 27, 2007 in Rutherford County.

33 year old Victor Lee Lewis of Short Mountain Highway, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence and criminal trespassing. Lewis was also issued citations for violation of the implied consent law and violation of the light law. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court on January 5. on December 29 Lewis was stopped by an officer on Highway 146 because of a non working brake light. He was also allegedly involved in a trespassing complaint. Lewis had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet. He performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. Lewis refused to submit to a blood test. On the trespassing charge, Lewis is accused of beating on the door and windows of a residence on Highway 146, where he was not supposed to be. Officers warned him to keep away from this home but he returned and began beating on the door and windows again.

32 year old Alvaro Munoz of Miller Road, Smithville is cited for driving on a suspended license, violation of the financial responsibility law and roadways lane for traffic (failure to maintain lane of travel). He will be in court on January 19. Munoz was stopped by a deputy on Highway 70 Friday, December 30 for failing to maintain his lane of travel. He allegedly crossed the line several times. A computer check revealed that Munoz' drivers license was suspended for violation of the financial responsibility law (no insurance) on November 14, 2011. He could not provide proof of insurance during this traffic stop (December 30).

Department activity as of December 27, 2011

The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department arrested two people in separate incidents of domestic assault last week.

28 year old Mitchell Tyler High of Sparta is charged with domestic assault. He will be in court on January 12 and his bond is $3,500.

On Friday, December 23, a deputy responded to a physical domestic at Kings Court Circle in DeKalb County. Upon arrival, the officer spoke to a female who had a black eye. She stated that High had hit her in the face, struck her in the back of the head, pushed her down on the couch, and told her that she was not leaving. High had left the residence before the officer arrived but he was found outside next to another residence. The deputy placed him under arrest. The female had bruises on both arms.

27 year old Alicia Christiana Hooper of Nashville is charged with domestic assault. Her bond is $3,500 and she will be in court on January 5.

On Christmas day, a deputy was called to a domestic on East Main Street in Alexandria. After arriving and speaking to everyone involved, it was determined that Hooper was the primary aggressor. She had been arguing with her father and step mother. She became very upset. After 911 was called, Hooper pushed the caller, a female, up against the wall and jerked the phone away from her.

32 year old Jamie Dawayne McKnight of McMinnville is charged with a first offense of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. He was also issued a citation for violation of the implied consent law. His bond totals $4,000 and he will be in court on January 12.

On Friday, December 23 McKnight was involved in a motor vehicle accident on Highway 70 east at the Midnight Express. McKnight's vehicle went off in a ditch and he left the scene. McKnight then called a friend to pick him up and he was found hiding in the back of his friend's pickup truck. McKnight had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was very unsteady on his feet. He submitted to and performed poorly on several field sobriety tasks. He refused to submit to a blood alcohol test.

McKnight's friend, 27 year old Johnathan Will Rigsby of McMinnville is charged with filing a false report. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court January 12.

As the officer was looking for McKnight, he saw a pick up truck pull into the parking lot of the VFW on Highway 70 east. He also observed someone emerge from the woods and approach the truck. The vehicle then sped off. The deputy pulled over the truck on Highway 70 east and spoke to the driver, Rigsby. The officer asked Rigsby several times if he had picked up McKnight. Rigsby replied "no". When the deputy and other officers who arrived on the scene started to search his vehicle, Rigsby admitted that he had picked up McKnight and stated that McKnight was hiding in the back of the truck. McKnight was concealed, hidden by a lid from a topper covering the truck bed.

22 year old Victor Hugo Gonzalez is charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest. His bond totals $3,500 and he will be in court January 5. Gonzalez, an illegal immigrant, is being held for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On Christmas eve a deputy was dispatched to Seven Springs Road in reference to a man (Gonzalez) trying to get into the vehicle of a homeowner. The man then went to the rear of the home and began beating on the back door, wanting someone to let him in. When the officer arrived, he found the man (Gonzalez) in the woods down behind the home. He had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person. His eyes were red and watery and he was very unsteady on his feet. The officer ordered Gonzalez to raise his hands several times, but he would not comply. He resisted arrest as the officer tried to place him in custody, becoming very belligerent and combative. Gonzalez was then taken to the ground by the officer and placed under arrest.

75 year old Garza Alberto of Jennings Lane is cited for no drivers license and failure to maintain lane of travel. He will be in court on January 11. On December 24 Alberto was operating a motor vehicle and left the roadway, driving into a field. A computer check showed him to be an unlicenced driver having only an ID.

18 year old Dane James Holten of Smithville is cited for simple possession of a schedule IV and VI controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He will be in court on January 5. Holten was sitting in a vehicle parked at a flea market on Allen's Ferry Road on Christmas Day. An officer stopped to conduct a welfare check on the driver. Holten, the driver, opened the door and the deputy saw a marijuana cigarette in plain view on the floor. A further search of the vehicle revealed a small white bottle containing twelve small blue oval pills believed to be Xanax, a glass pipe and rolling papers. Holten admitted that the drugs belonged to him.

Department activity as of December 23, 2011

An employee of DTC Communications has been arrested for allegedly stealing spools of copper wire from the company. 55 year old Thomas Burton Ervin of Redmon Road, Smithville will appear in court January 5 charged with theft of property over $500 and possession of a weapon with the intent to go armed. His bond is $7,500.

Officers learned, through an investigation, that Ervin had allegedly taken spools of copper wire from DTC work sites, placed them on a DTC truck, and hauled them to property on Allen's Ferry Road, where he allegedly hid them behind bales of hay. After identifying Ervin as a suspect, we spotted him on New Home Road Wednesday, December 21. He was driving his personal truck and hauling a horse trailer. They pulled him over and found in the horse trailer multiple spools of #2 copper wire, totaling 880 pounds, belonging to DTC. We also found a loaded Remington 700 243 rifle on the passenger side seat in the cab of the truck .Ervin was mirandized and escorted to the jail. Ervin allegedly admitted that the wire belonged to DTC and that he did not have authorization to have the wire in his personal vehicle.

Meanwhile, 22 year old Jeremy Silas Shelton and 25 year old Jennifer Dawn Johnson both of Jacobs Pillar Road, Smithville are charged with aggravated burglary and theft of property over $1,000. Bond for each is $20,000. Johnson was arrested December 12 and Shelton on December 15

On November 11, Shelton and Johnson allegedly broke into a residence on Upper Helton Road, entering through a front door, and stole a 50 inch LG flat screen TV and a Dell laptop computer, each valued at more than $1,000.

30 year old Kenneth Adam Wright of Lower Helton Road, Alexandria is charged with a second offense of driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. He was also issued a citation for violation of the financial responsibility law (no insurance), violation of the implied consent law, and simple possession of a schedule III controlled substance (hydrocodone). His bond totals $5,000 and he will be in court on January 12.

A deputy responded to a motor vehicle accident on Sunday, December 18 on the Alexandria to Dismal Road. Upon arrival, the officer discovered that the driver of the vehicle had left the scene. During the accident investigation, a black truck drove by. The officer noticed that the passenger of that truck tried to hide his face. A state trooper, who was also at the scene, pulled over the truck. Wright was the passenger. Sheriff Ray said that Wright had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was very unsteady on his feet. Wright submitted to several field sobriety tasks but performed poorly. Wright refused to submit to a blood test. When the officer asked Wright to get out of the vehicle, he dropped a white oval pill believed to be hydrocodone.

22 year old David Braxton White of Old West Point Road, Smithville is charged with two counts of theft of property under $500. White allegedly committed the thefts at the residence where he was living. White was arrested on December 21. His bond is $3,000 and he will be in court on January 12.

In the first case on September 1, White allegedly took a refrigerator from the home on Old West Point Road and sold it at a local recycling business. Meanwhile in the second case on December 6, White allegedly took a double air tank compressor from the same residence and sold it at a pawn shop in Warren County.

Department activity as of December 12, 2011

23 year old Homer Anthony Petty II of Banks Pisgah Road, Smithville is charged with driving on a suspended license and felony evading arrest. He was also issued a citation for violation of the open container law, violation of the light law, and violation of the financial responsibility law. His bond totals $6,500 and he will be in court on December 15.

A deputy stopped Petty's vehicle for no tail lights on New Home Road Tuesday, December 6. When the officer approached the vehicle, Petty accelerated. He turned right onto Highway 146 and drove to Cecil Hale Road before he stopped. A computer check revealed his license were suspended on August 18, 2008 in Smith County for failure to satisfy a citation. He could not provide proof of insurance and he had an open 40 ounce container of beer in the vehicle.

40 year old Stanley William Morris, Jr. of Hodges Road, Smithville and 34 year old Thomas Bradley Hildreth of Oak Street, Smithville are charged with filing a false report. Bond for each is $1,500 and they will appear in court on December 15.

Both Morris and Hildreth failed to answer the door at an Oak Street residence on Thursday, December 8 in an effort to hide Leslie Love, who had a warrant against her for violation of probation in Warren County. Officers knocked and screamed for someone to come to the door. A deputy saw Love and someone else run through the house. Officers again knocked and then made forced entry into the house. After entry was made in the living room, both Morris and Hildreth told the deputies that they did not know the whereabouts of Love. But the men gave false information so that Love could evade law enforcement and not get arrested. Love was found in the home hiding in the attic space. She was arrested and transported to Warren County.

23 year old Melissa Gail Andrews of Jackson Street, Smithville is cited for driving on a revoked license and violation of the light law. Her court date is January 11. On Saturday, December 10, Andrews was stopped for having a headlight out. A computer check revealed her license to be revoked.

Department activity as of December 5, 2011

A 24 year old man caught with meth lab components at City Walk Apartments near Smithville Elementary School. Justin Andrew Cantrell of Adcock Cemetery Road was arrested on November 30 and charged with violation of the drug free zone and initiation of a process intended to manufacture methamphetamine.

Detectives and deputies of the sheriff's department saw Cantrell in the parking lot of City Walk Apartments holding a bag. When Cantrell saw the officers he began to walk away from them. When the officers asked to speak to him, Cantrell put the bag down beside of some parked vehicles. One of the detectives went over and looked in the bag, which was partially open. He saw tubing and a plastic bottle containing a clear liquid and noticed it to be the one pot method of manufacturing methamphetamine. The officers also found in the bag a gallon of Coleman fuel, coffee filters, a plastic bottle containing acid, two plastic baggies (cold packs)containing ammonium nitrate, and an ice pack which had been cut open. In his pocket, Cantrell had a coffee filter and a hypodermic needle. Cantrell was taken into custody and charged in the case.

Meanwhile, 26 year old Joshua Lynn McCowan of East Bryant Street is cited for simple possession of a schedule II controlled substance. He will appear in court on December 15. On Friday, December 2 a deputy served a warrant on McCowan for violation of probation. During a search of McCowan, the officer found a blue oval pill in his front left pocket which was later determined to be a schedule II controlled substance (Loratab)

Department activity as of November 28, 2011

The Sheriff's Department made two arrests last week in the October burglary of a home on Skyline Drive.

33 year old Ricky Allen Ashford of South College Street, Smithville is charged with aggravated burglary, theft of property over $1,000, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and violation of probation. His bond totals $23,500 and he will be in court on December 1.

On October 15 Ashford allegedly broke into a residence at Skyline Drive by using a credit card to open the door. He allegedly took from the residence gold chains, a diamond ring, a wedding band, and other jewelry all valued at over $1,000. The case was assigned to a detective and the arrest was made on Thanksgiving Day, November 24.

A sixteen year old boy was with Ashford during the burglary and theft. Ashford was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor as a result and the boy was charged under a juvenile petition as a delinquent for burglary and theft

The violation of probation against Ashford was because he failed to pay in full his court costs by the end of his probation date in a previous case. Ashford had been placed on probation after being convicted of two counts of attempted forgery. He received 11 months 29 days in that case. He still owes $904.58 as of November 2, 2009.

39 year old Mary Ann Hale of Sparta Highway, Smithville is cited for driving on a suspended license, violation of the light law, and violation of the financial responsibility law. Her court date is December 14

Hale's vehicle was stopped due to a broken tail light on Friday, November 25. The officer discovered that her drivers license were suspended and she did not have proof of valid car insurance.

24 year old Rodrigo Carrasco of Columbia is charged with a second offense of driving under the influence. He was also issued a citation for no drivers license. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court on December 8.

On Wednesday, November 23 a deputy was called to check out a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Highway 70. Reports said that the vehicle was all over the roadway and doing doughnuts. The officer spotted the automobile on the side of the road with its flashers on. A man was behind the wheel. Upon speaking with the driver, the deputy noticed that he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and his speech was slurred. He was asked to step out of the vehicle. He was very unsteady on his feet. When asked to perform field sobriety tasks, the man indicated that he could not speak English. Because of this, field sobriety tasks were not performed and no blood alcohol test was taken. A computer check revealed he had no drivers license.

Department activity as of November 21, 2011

A 39 year old man has been charged with two counts of violation of an order of protection and one count of filing a false report while his 40 year old girlfriend is facing two counts of filing a false report.

Don Diamond Groshon is under a $7,500 bond and bond for Tisha Elaine Burns is $5,000. They will be in court on the charges December 1.

On Monday, November 14 a deputy from his department went to Groshon's home on Sparta Highway to serve a warrant on him for violation of an order of protection, taken out against Groshon by Burns, his girlfriend. Under the order of protection, Groshon is to keep away from both Burns and her eight year old daughter. But when the officer arrived to serve the warrant, he found Burns in the residence with Groshon along with her young child.

The violation warrant, sought by Burns, stems from incidents which occurred on Wednesday, October 12, Tuesday October 18, and Wednesday October 19. According to Sheriff Ray, Groshon went onto property where Burns was living on October 12 and took several items from the property without her consent. Groshon was also seen kissing Burns' young daughter, a violation of the order of protection. Six days later on October 18, Groshon allegedly sent a friend to the property to pick up items, also in violation of the order of protection. While there, the friend allegedly threatened Burns that if she did not cooperate with him, he would call Groshon. The next day, October 19, Groshon allegedly sent his son and a friend to pick up a dog cage at the property, a further violation.

Groson failed to answer the door when the deputy arrived at his home to serve the warrant on November 14. The officer knew Groshon was there because he could see him walking through the house. As the deputy was making forcible entry into the home, Groshon made his way to a bedroom and jumped into bed, pretending to be asleep. Burns was also in the bedroom. Her daughter was in the living room, covered by a quilt.

After being found with Burns and her daughter, the sheriff's department charged Groshon with another count of violation of an order of protection. Groshon was also charged with filing a false report for not answering the door knowing that he was in violation of the order of protection.

Burns was charged with one count of filing a false report for not answering the door when the officer arrived to serve the warrant on Groshon. Burns was trying to hide Groshon in the bedroom, knowing that he was going to be arrested.

As she was being arrested, Burns told the officer that Groshon was holding her and the daughter hostage, not allowing them to leave or use the telephone. She later told a detective that she had been lying about the alleged kidnaping. She was charged with a second offense of filing a false report.

Department activity as of November 14, 2011

A 38 year old Smithville man was arrested Friday after trying to flee from a home he had allegedly just burglarized on Big Hurricane Road. Scott Lynn Sykes of Alexander Street, Smithville is charged with aggravated burglary, vandalism under $500, resisting arrest, and evading arrest. His bond totals $12,500 and he will be in court on November 17.

On Friday, November 11 Sykes allegedly broke into a home on Big Hurricane Road by kicking in the back door, causing less than $500 in damage to the door. A deputy was called to the residence and upon arrival, he saw a man running out of the back door of the home and into the woods. The officer caught up with the suspect, Sykes, and placed him under arrest. Sykes resisted, refusing to be handcuffed. The officer took him to the ground and forcibly handcuffed him. Sykes had allegedly stepped in some fresh white paint while he was at the residence. He still had some white paint on his boots when he was arrested.

Meanwhile, 18 year old Joseph Matthews Giles, II of Foster Road, Smithville is charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Bond for Giles is $1,000 bond and he will be in court on December 1. On Sunday, November 13 Giles went on a date with a 14 year old female and spent the night with her at his grandmother's home without the permission of the girl's mother.

45 year old Walter D. Crawford of Bluhmtown Road, Smithville is charged with theft of property over $500. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court on November 17. On Wednesday, November 2 Crawford took from property on Blumntown Road, a door, a large window, and two small windows all valued at over $500. Crawford is a co-defendant with 43 year old Raymond Earl Tague of Bluhmtown Road, Smithville who was arrested last week and charged with theft of property over $500 in the same came. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court November 17.

Sheriff's Department makes a drug bust.

Two people were arrested for possession of cocaine and xanax for resale during a drug bust by the sheriff's department Monday night.

31 year old William Wayne Graham and 30 year old Kimberly Jo Donnelly of Bright Hill Road Smithville are charged with possession of a schedule II controlled substance for resale (cocaine) and possession of a schedule IV controlled substance for resale (xanax).

Bond for each is $10,000 and they will be in court on December 1.

The drug detective along with other detectives from the sheriff's department, who have been investigating the illegal sale of drugs from the home of Graham, were able to establish probable cause to obtain a search warrant. General Sessions Judge Bratten H. Cook II issued a search warrant for us to go in and search Graham's home. We executed that search warrant on Monday night, November 7 and found in the home individually packaged white powder believed to be cocaine, three used syringes, and two sets of digital scales. We also seized a couple of cell phones and pleated sandwich bags. We seized $587 in cash from Graham. We also found various types of pills.

On Monday November 7, the sheriff's department executed a search warrant at Graham's home at 737 Bright Hill Road and found in a living room drawer six baggies of cocaine. They were all packaged and ready for resale. The six baggies weighed over six grams combined. Also found in the living room was a bottle containing fifteen xanax pills and two halves.

Three small children who were in the home at the time were placed with other family members by the Department of Children Services.

The investigation continues and more arrests may be forthcoming.

Department activity as of November 7, 2011

A Giles County High School football fan was arrested for trying to steal a DeKalb County High School Tiger Football sign following the state play-off game last Friday night in Smithville.

18 year old William Carson Burns of Agnew Road, Pulaski is charged with theft of property under $500 and evading arrest. His bond is $3,000 and he will be in court on November 17.

On Friday, November 4, Burns allegedly took a sign from the DCHS football field that belonged to the school, valued at less than $500. When officers asked him to put down the sign, he ran off with it. He ran about 200 yards before officers caught up with him.

Meanwhile, 43 year old Raymond Earl Tague of Bluhmtown Road, Smithville is charged with theft of property over $500. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court November 17.

On Wednesday November 2, Tague allegedly took from property on Bluhmtown Road, a door, a large window, and two small windows, all valued at over $500.

36 year old Lisa Yvonne Rogers of Aaron Webb Road, Smithville is cited for violation of the financial responsibility, simple possession of a schedule VI controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Her court date is November 17

On Saturday, November 5 an officer was dispatched to Creek Road to check out a suspicious vehicle. Upon arrival, the officer found Rogers sitting in the car. After receiving consent to search the vehicle, the deputy found 1.8 grams of marijuana and a pipe. Rogers could not show proof of insurance.

Department activity as of October 31, 2011

A 45 year old Smithville man is charged in a rash of recent burglaries and thefts. Shannon Lynn Newby of Anthony Avenue is charged with three counts of aggravated burglary, two counts of burglary, three counts of theft of property over $1,000, one count of theft of property over $500, and one count of theft of property under $500. His bond totals $235,000 and he will be in court on November 3.

On Monday, September 5, Newby allegedly entered an outbuilding on McMinnville Highway and took two chainsaws, two hedge trimmers, and other items all valued at over $1,000.

On Sunday October 9, Newby allegedly entered a residence through the front door on Cordell Love Road . He allegedly took a Browning 300 Magnum, a Mossberg shotgun, a Marlin 30-30, and several other items all valued at over $1,000

Six days later on Saturday, October 15, Newby allegedly entered a residence through a back window on Coconut Ridge Road and took a nine millimeter Ruger pistol, a Savage rifle, two laptop computers, and several other items all valued at over $1,000.

Newby then allegedly entered an outbuilding on New Home Road Monday, October 17 and took two tool boxes with miscellaneous tools valued less than $500.

In the last incident, Newby entered a residence on Robinson Road Thursday, October 20 by prying open the back door. He allegedly took a storm door, cedar chest, and coins all valued at over $500.

Meanwhile, in another case 62 year old Steven Michael White of Pea Ridge Road, Liberty is charged with a second offense of driving under the influence. His bond is $3,000 and he will be in court on November 17.

On Monday, October 24 White was operating a motor vehicle on Highway 70 and was stopped for crossing the center line several times. He had an odor of an alcoholic beverage and marijuana on his person. White was unsteady on his feet. He performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks and he submitted to a blood test. White admitted to drinking beer and smoking marijuana while driving down the road.. His other DUI offense was on February 5, 2009 in DeKalb County.

Department activity as of October 25, 2011

Two men have been arrested by the Sheriff's Department within the past week in separate theft investigations. 24 year old Joshua Lynne Beaty of East Main Street, Smithville is charged with two counts of theft of property over $1,000. Beaty allegedly stole a van from a residence on New Home Road on August 24 and sold it to a local recycling center. The van was valued at $3,000.

In the other case, Beaty allegedly took items from a residence on Bluhmtown Road and sold them to a local recycling business. Taken from the property was a tractor engine, tractor radiator, washer, stove, clothing rack, double bottom turning plow, and 1,500 piece Craftsman tool set. The total value was $4,650. Beaty was arrested on the charges Thursday, October 20. He is under a total bond of $15,000 and he will be in court on October 27.

44 year old William Elton Eisenmann of Page Drive, Smithville is charged with aggravated burglary and aggravated theft of property under $500. Eisenmann's bond totals $7,500 and he will be in court on October 27. On Thursday, October 13 Eisenmann allegedly entered a residence on Eagle Creek Road by cutting a screen and going through a front window. He allegedly stole a pair of Reebok tennis shoes, a Levi shirt, and a bath towel all valued at less than $500. When he left the residence, Eisenmann also left behind his cell phone, a phone card, and a knife. He was arrested on Friday, October 21.

Mejia Pastor of Goodridge Road, Woodbury is charged with driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court November 3. On Saturday October 22 Pastor was operating a motor vehicle on Highway 70 and was stopped after a deputy saw him swerving. Pastor was found to have an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet. Pastor refused to submit to field sobriety tasks but he did take a blood test.

21 year old Luis Alfonso Rubalcava-Romo of A.B. Frazier Road, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. Romo was further issued a citation for having no drivers license, violation of the light law, violation of the financial responsibility law (no insurance), failure to maintain his lane of travel, and violation of the open container law. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on October 27. On Saturday, October 22 Romo was operating a motor vehicle on Highway 70 and was stopped by a deputy for violation of the light law(driving with no tail lights). He had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet. Romo performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks and he submitted to a blood test. The officer found in the vehicle a half full container of an alcoholic beverage within hands reach in a cup holder on the console.

Leonel Rodriguez Sanchez of Adcock Cemetery Road is charged with driving under the influence and two counts of reckless endangerment. Sanchez was also issued a citation for having no drivers license, violation of the registration law, violation of the financial responsibility law, violation of the open container law, and violation of the implied consent law. His bond totals $12,500 and he will be in court October 27. On Sunday, October 23 Sanchez was operating a motor vehicle and had allegedly run motorists off the road on both Old Blue Springs Road and Highway 56. His license tag number was reported to 911. The vehicle was later found on Cecil Hale Road. The driver, Sanchez, had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet. Sanchez was unable to perform field sobriety tasks because of his level of intoxication. He refused to submit to a blood test. The officer found an open beer on the console of the vehicle.

Department activity as of October 15, 2011

Two people were arrested by the Sheriff's Department last Monday, October 10 after a deputy allegedly found suspected meth lab components in their truck on Seven Springs Road. 32 year old Bradley Pugh of Old Bildad Road, Smithville is charged with initiation of a process to manufacture methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. His bond is $100,000 and he will be in court on November 10

28 year old Rikki Elizabeth Holland of Underwood Road, McMinnville is charged with initiation of a process to manufacture methamphetamine. Her bond is $75,000 and she will be in court on November 10. A deputy was called to check out a vehicle parked on the side of Seven Springs Road. When he arrived, the officer found Pugh, unconscious behind the steering wheel. Holland was a passenger. After waking up Pugh, the deputy obtained from him consent to search and found coffee filters and batteries inside the vehicle. In the back of the truck, the officer found a plastic tote and two bags containing chemical products that were altered for the manufacture of methamphetamine. A prescription bottle bearing Pugh's name was found in the bag with the chemicals. The deputy also discovered a loaded handgun on the drivers side of the truck.

In a separate case, 50 year old Angel Claire Alexander of Lebanon is charged with a first offense of driving under the influence. She was further issued a citation for failure to maintain her proper lane of traffic resulting in a one vehicle accident on Highway 70. Her bond totals $1,500 and she will be in court on November 10. On Wednesday, October 12 while operating a vehicle on Highway 70, Alexander was involved in an accident. She had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person and she was unsteady on her feet. A bottle containing some vodka was in the vehicle and she allegedly admitted to drinking it. Alexander refused to submit to field sobriety tasks but she did submit to a blood test.

Department activity as of October 10, 2011

The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department filed charges and issued citations against several persons this past week for driving under the influence and driving on a revoked license.

49 year old Timothy Lloyd Caldwell of Medlin Drive of Dowelltown is charged with driving on a revoked license. He was also issued a citation for a violation of the financial responsibility law and for failure to drive within his lane of traffic. His bond is $1, 500 and he will be in court on November 16. On Wednesday, October 5 a deputy stopped Caldwell on the Old Snow Hill Road for failure to maintain his lane of travel. A computer check revealed his license were revoked on August 24 for a DUI in Putnam County.

34 year old James Walter Stringer of Morgan Drive, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. He was also issued a citation for violation of the implied consent law. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on October 13. On Thursday, October 6 Stringer was stopped on Highway 70 for squealing tires. He had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet. Stringer admitted to drinking beer and taking xanax. He performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks but refused to submit to a blood test.

43 year old Greta Lynn Higgins of Midway Road, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. She was also issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court on October 13. On Friday, October 7. a deputy stopped Higgins on Highway 70 for failure to maintain her lane of travel. Higgins had slurred speech and she was very unsteady on her feet. She performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. She also submitted to a blood test. During the arrest, the officer found a hypodermic needle in Higgins' purse.

31 year old Tanya Renee Broad of Washington Street, Sparta is charged with a second offense of driving under the influence. Her bond is $3,000. On Saturday, October 8 Broad was stopped by an officer on Highway 70 for a violation of the light law. She had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person and she was unsteady on her feet. Broad performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. She also submitted to a blood test.

Department activity as of October 3, 2011

A prisoner has been charged with vandalism after allegedly causing some damage at the DeKalb County Jail. 37 year old Jeffery Lynn Sanders of Lincoln Street, Smithville, is charged with one count of vandalism over $500 and one count of vandalism over $1,000 at the jail. Sanders is under a $20,000 bond and he will be in court on October 6. On Sunday, September 25, Sanders broke a fire sprinkler head, flooding the jail cell. The value of the damage was $500. The next day, Monday, September 26 after being placed in a holding cell, Sanders allegedly cracked a shatter proof glass window.

46 year old Tonya Elaine Caldwell and 87 year old Velma McGuire of Cill Street, Smithville are each charged with filing a false report. Bond for each is $5,000 and they will be in court on October 13. On Sunday, September 25, an officer was at the residence of Velma McGuire at 713 Cill Street to serve a warrant on Brittany Barnes, McGuire's great granddaughter. Both Caldwell and McGuire told the officer that Brittany was not there. While officers were searching the residence, Brittany was seen exiting the home through a window. She was later found in the residence with Caldwell, who is Brittany's mother.

31 year old James Travis Bouldin of McCorkle Hollow Road, McMinnville is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $1,000 and he will be in court October 13. On Wednesday, September 28 Bouldin was seen walking in the road on Highway 70. He was unsteady on his feet. The officer who stopped to investigate noticed that Bouldin had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and his speech was slurred. He was arrested for his own safety.

48 year old Johnny Michael Howard of Billings Road, Sparta is charged with aggravated assault. He is under a $40,000 bond and he will be in court October 6. Howard assaulted a female at his home on Wednesday, September 28, cutting the side of her face and left hand with a knife. The woman had to undergo treatment at the emergency room of DeKalb Community Hospital.

31 year old Joshua Lionel Jones of Hodges Road, Smithville is charged with theft of property over $1,000 and burglary. Jones is under a $10,000 bond and he will be in court November 17. On Monday, September 19, Jones allegedly entered a barn on Dale Ridge Road and stole scrap metal, valued at over $1,000. He then allegedly sold the stolen items to a local scrap yard.

39 year old Don Diamond Groshon of Page Drive, Smithville is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $15,000 and he will be in court October 6. He was arrested on Saturday, October 1. On Sunday, September 18 Groshon allegedly placed a handgun to his girl friend's stomach and grabbed hold of her, bruising both of her arms. He also allegedly had possession of the gun while arguing with his girlfriend's sixteen year old son. The warrant states that Groshon has broken her ribs in the past.

Department prepares to install video visitation technology

Families who have relatives incarcerated at the DeKalb County Jail are allowed to visit them on weekends. But the traditional face to face encounters between family and inmates separated only by a glass barrier will soon be a thing of the past as the department prepares to install video visitation technology.

Video visitation technology has the potential to maximize security during the visitation process, minimize the introduction of contraband into the jail, and limit the number of corrections personnel required to monitor each visitation. The system may also be used to video conference between the jail and the courthouse during certain court proceedings. Under this system, prisoners could remain in their cells and communicate with the judge in the courtroom by way of video technology. This would keep the Sheriff's Department from having to transfer the prisoners from the jail to the courthouse for every scheduled court appearance. The system, however, could not be used for all court appearances or in every case.

Under the current system, family visitations are permitted on Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. for male prisoners and Sundays from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. for females. The jail typically houses an average of 95 to 100 inmates per day and a majority of those prisoners have visitors pay a call on them each weekend.

Family members wishing to visit with a prisoner are required to schedule an appointment on Fridays. The same will be true with the video visitation.

During a traditional visitation, the inmate is typically escorted from their cell to a special visitation room, where a face-to-face encounter takes place. The inmate and family members are separated by a glass barrier and each party must use a telephone to communicate with each other. Each visit requires a corrections officer to accompany the inmate from the cell to the visitation area. It also demands that someone monitor the visit for its entire length, normally up to 30 minutes. With a steady stream of visitors arriving during the course of the day, the demand placed on corrections staff is considerable.

The county commission Monday night authorized our department to proceed with plans to obtain the video equipment through Securus Technologies, at no cost to the county. The county already has a contract with Securus to provide telephone service that inmates use, on a pay per call basis, to phone relatives from the jail under an account established between Securus and the family. Securus receives proceeds from those calls and pays a commission to the county for the privilege of providing the service. "We have a contract with Securus Technologies, our inmate phone service. They have been our service provider for many years. We sat down with them two or three months ago and talked about video visitation for the inmates at the jail where the inmates can stay in the cell and not have to be transferred to a different part of the jail for the visitation. The family members will be able to come into an office in the jail and view through a television monitor the inmate in the cell.

After the system is installed, the department will have the option of offering families video web cam visit opportunities so they can make contact with inmates from their homes or other locations. This will actually open up the visitation to where if we should decide to offer it, a family member could actually be in California or somewhere else and do a visit through the internet and a web cam to communicate with an inmate at the jail under certain conditions.

The ability to video conference during court proceedings will also be useful. Another feature that we're going to have with this is our courtrooms. We hope, in the near future, after we get our video equipment in at the jail to have video to the courtrooms where the judge can sit and interact with the inmates by video instead of us having to transport them from the jail up to the courthouse. That will provide a safer environment for our correctional officers and the public. We're using probably four officers who escort the prisoners back and forth to court and on Thursdays we have at least fifteen to twenty inmates we take up there. This gives the inmates a greater opportunity to pick up contraband along the way. We usually find stuff that they've picked up, whether it be cigarette butts or something like that which they try to bring back into the jail. We usually find that every week. By doing the video conferencing, that will slow some of that down. The inmate will actually sit in the cell and do his court pre-trial stuff by video conference. It won't be used during hearings or anything like that and it won't be used for trials. It'll only be used for pre-trial stuff with the judge. It might be a bond reduction, to appoint them an attorney, or to reset a court date, and things like that. By doing this video conferencing, we won't have to carry them all the way over there to the courthouse.

The county will not be out any extra expense for installing and using this equipment. We had talked about the expense of this and what Securus Technologies could propose to us. They came back with about $80,000 worth of equipment that they are going to donate to us. It goes right along with our contract that we've had with them for many years. They have also guaranteed us our commissions that we've had over the last twelve months. That will not change. The county will get a certain amount of money for Securus being a service provider. They will come in and do all the installation of the video equipment at the jail.

Here is how the inmates make use of the telephone system . Securus Technologies is our inmate provider and the family will set up a billing program with them. It has been costing them $1.50 for a fifteen minute call. Long distance calls have been costing a surcharge rate of from $3.45 to $3.95 plus 95 cents a minute. But now, under an updated contract agreement, there's only going to be a $2.00 surcharge plus 10 cents a minute. It is going up a little for local calls but on the long distance calls, it'll be a lot cheaper. They (inmates) have a phone in the cell. We turn on the phones at certain times. An inmate is then able to place a call to a family member who has an account with Securus Technologies. They can talk for fifteen minutes and then the phone call is terminated. But the inmate can call right back and it will cost them $1.50 for another fifteen minutes. Every call under this system is recorded where we can go back and listen if we have a problem. They can keep calling as long as there is money in the account. We also spot check through some of them just to make sure they're not planning escapes or something like that.

Metal Thefts Increasing in DeKalb County

Metal Thefts Increasing

With prices for metals rising, we have seen a dramatic increase in the numbers of metal thefts across the county in recent months

Thieves are stealing metal goods and selling them to scrap yards. He is asking that if you should become a victim of such a theft, please report it as soon as possible, because the scrap yards usually crush those items quickly.

Over the last five or six months we've noticed an increase in our scrap metal thefts. As a matter of fact, these types of thefts have overtaken burglaries. Very rarely lately have we worked a home invasion. Most of our thefts are scrap metal. Its because metal prices have increased. Its also a good way for a thief to commit a crime and actually get away with it. Its very hard to prosecute these types of crimes. A lot of people are mistaken on what the scrap yards are required to do. When one of our detectives gets a report of a theft, he will call around to the area scrap yards. The only thing we can do is if we have a suspect, we check with the scrap yards to see if that individual has brought any scrap there.

Once a customer delivers scrap metal to a recycling center or scrap yard, the product is only identified by how much it weighed in, so its important that these types of thefts be reported as soon as they are discovered. On their ticket, it only has pounds, pounds of metal, pounds of copper and pounds of aluminum. It doesn't identify it as any particular kind of metal, such as copper pipes, car hoods, rims, etc. It doesn't have a description of it. It only tells us how many pounds of that type of metal was brought in. So if the workers at the scrap yard don't remember what that customer brought in or they no longer have it on the scrap yard, then its up to us to find out what they brought and maybe go back and ask questions and conduct interviews with others to find out. The only thing the scrap yard is required to do is, for example, if copper is a precious metal, then they are required to hold that copper for five days. They withhold payment to whoever brought it in for the five days. They have to wait before they get a check. They have to hold it in case something comes up. Then we can go look at it. As far as any other scrap metal, anyone can bring it in there and sell it to the scrap yard, they can take it straight off the truck and crush it. Of course if its stolen goods then the evidence is gone once its crushed.

The types of goods being stolen lately range from farm equipment to automobiles, We've had all kinds of different things stolen from farm equipment to roof sheeting on a house. Anything that's made of metal they are going to pick up. We've had reports of vehicles that had broken down on the side of the road where thieves had loaded them up and taken them to the scrap yard. According to the law, certain model vehicles don't need titles so they can be taken in for scrap right then. We've had reports of vehicles setting out in open fields and during the night thieves go out there, cut the fence, back up there, hook a log chain to it, drag it out and take it to the scrap yard the next day. Batteries are another thing we see, especially at boat ramps where there is not a gate attendant or a lot of visitors going in and out. They will pull up there, pop the hoods on them or bust the glass out, steal the batteries and carry them to the scrap yard and sell them there for the lead in them.

Property owners should be wary of anyone approaching you offering to do any clean-up work around your place. We ask everybody who may have individuals come to your house asking if you need your place cleaned up, simply say no unless you know that person.

You're also encouraged to report suspicious activity in your neighborhood. We ask you to call 215-3000 which is the central dispatch and they will have one of the deputies at least go check it. Once they have loaded up that stuff and they carry it to the scrap yard, within ten minutes it could be crushed and gone. If you see someone picking up scrap metal somewhere, try to write down their license tag number. It could be someone committing a theft.

To reduce the chances of your becoming a victim, we urge you to secure your property as best you can. I've been told that scrap metal prices are going to be even higher this winter so we're expecting more thefts.

Department activity as of September 26, 2011

More persons have been arrested by the Sheriff's Department, accused of stealing goods made of metal and selling them as scrap

In the latest cases, 24 year old Gary Christopher Ponder and 33 year old Aron Dewayne Ponder both of Old Mill Hill Road, Dowelltown are each charged with one count of theft of property over $500, two counts of theft under $500, and one count of theft over $1,000. Bond for each is $25,000 and they will be in court October 6.

On Friday, September 9 the Ponders went to a farm on Wilder Hollow Road in the Pea Ridge community where they allegedly took a calf feeder, a horse drawn rake, two air conditioner units, a smoker grill, two kitchen sinks, cook stove, cook oven, radiator, rim, air compressor, two black kettles, and one hundred pieces of twelve feet 5V roofing, all valued at $4770.00.

Ten days later, on Monday, September 19, the Ponders went to three different properties on Tabernacle Road and allegedly stole items from each location. At one place the Ponders allegedly took a house jack, double row planter, and adjustment for a plow, half of a corn grinder, tractor hitch, valve, pry bar, battery, two setter trays, cultivator pieces, plow pieces, wheel, lawn mower deck, and a scraper blade, all valued at $810.00.

At a second location on Tabernacle Road, the Ponders allegedly took from the bed of a pickup truck, a hydraulic jack valued at $20.00.

From the third location on Tabernacle Road, the Ponders allegedly took gutter pipe, two fence posts, a five foot gate, exhaust pipe, and aluminum scrap, all valued at $177.00.

Meanwhile, 26 year old Nicholas Cody Walls of Coconut Ridge Road, Smithville and 34 year old Mickey Guinn of West Spring Street, Smithville are each charged with two counts of theft of property under $500. Bond for each is $6,000 and they will be in court on September 29.

A deputy responded to a report of a theft in progress at a business on East Broad Street, Smithville on Tuesday, September 20. Upon arrival, the officer found Walls and Guinn loading a truck with items taken from the business including rolling steps, a rolling cart, and a solid steel shock, all valued at $220.00.

A deputy had taken a report earlier that day of items stolen from the same business on East Broad Street. Walls and Guinn were also charged in that case accused of taking items from the business including five metal uprights, valued at $500. The stolen items were sold to a local recycling center where Walls and Guinn received a total of $94.30.

31 year old Joshua Lionel Jones of Hodges Road, Smithville and 46 year old Daniel Lee Taylor of Earl Avenue, Smithville are each charged with theft of property over $1,000.00. Bond for each is $4,500 and they will be in court on September 29.

On Wednesday, September 21 a deputy was called to a burglary in progress on Dale Ridge Road. Upon arrival, the officer found two men loading items from a barn. The two men, Jones and Taylor, claimed they had permission to be doing this but the officer called the man identified by Jones and Taylor as the owner but he denied owning any property on Dale Ridge Road. Items taken from the barn included a horsedrawn turnplow, three rims, a small engine, 30- nine foot steel pipes, 15-ten foot steel pipes, structural steel, and miscellaneous scrap metal, all valued at $1040.00.

31 year old Tracy Michelle Vincent of Cedar Street, Liberty is charged with being a fugitive from justice. On Wednesday, September 21 his department learned that Vincent was wanted in Warren County, Kentucky for child neglect. She has been charged with being a fugitive from justice. Vincent is being held without bond. She will be in court on October 6.

39 year old Willard Darrell Brown of Anthony Avenue, Smithville was recently issued citations for driving under the influence and failure to maintain proper lane of travel. He will be in court on October 13.

Brown was injured after being involved in a motor vehicle accident on Vaughn Lane. Brown was traveling east in the wrong lane causing another vehicle to collide with his automobile. Brown was taken to the hospital to be treated for a back injury. Brown was believed to be under the influence of an intoxicating drug. He submitted to a blood test.

37 year old Jeffery Lynn Sanders of Lincoln Street, Smithville is charged with escape. His bond is $30,000 and he will be in court on September 29.

Sanders was in General Sessions court on Thursday, September 22 and the judge revoked his bond. After being returned to a holding area at the jail, Sanders asked a correctional officer for permission to go to the restroom. As the correctional officer opened a door, Sanders ran out of the cell area, trying to escape. He was quickly detained.

23 year old Brittney Danielle Barnes of Belk Road, Smithville is charged with evading arrest and failure to appear in criminal court. She has been ordered to serve ten days in jail. She will then be allowed to make a $5,000 bond on the failure to appear charge. Her bond is $3,500 for evading arrest. She will be in court September 29 on the evading arrest offense. Barnes will be in criminal court in the failure to appear case on October 7

On Sunday, September 25 a deputy went to Cill Street to serve a state warrant on Barnes for failure to appear. Having prior knowledge that Barnes was at this residence, the home of her great grandmother, the officer knocked on the door. Barnes' great grandmother answered. When the deputy asked if Brittney was there, the woman replied "no she is not". Brittney's mother then came to the door telling the officer that her daughter was in Warren County. While the officer searched the residence, central dispatch received a call from a witness stating that Brittney had jumped from a window at the rear of the home. About ten to fifteen minutes after the search began, a Smithville Police Officer found Barnes inside the home, hiding in a bedroom. Barnes admitted knowing she had a warrant against her.

63 year old James Dallas McMillen, Jr. of Bright Hill Road is charged with a second offense of DUI and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. He was also issued a citation for violation of the implied consent law. McMillen will be in court on September 29. He is under a $5,500 bond.

On Monday, September 19, a deputy responded to a traffic accident on Evins Mill Road where the driver of an automobile involved in the crash had left the scene. Witnesses told the officer that the driver of this vehicle was all over the roadway, before running into a ditch and damaging a fence. According to witnesses, when the man got out of the automobile after the accident he was very unsteady on his feet. Witnesses further reported that when they spoke with him, his speech was very slurred. The deputy had a computer check run on the tag information and obtained the name and address of the owner of the vehicle (McMillen). He then went to McMillen's home and spoke with him. McMillen allegedly admitted to being involved in the accident and leaving the scene. The officer detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on McMillen. He initially consented to submit to a blood alcohol test but changed his mind before arriving at the hospital.