If you are similarly charged with drug possession or any other drug crime in Tennessee, you should take these charges seriously. Mosley and Jenkins were charged with committing these crimes following a conviction for a serious drug felony. Its a massive amount.. Main Office:
An investigation involving an alleged drug overdose at the Super 8 motel on East Andrew Johnson Highway Monday morning resulted in the arrest of four women, including three on heroin Marshals Service (USMS). of fentanyl, and 3.5 grams of heroin. The seizure was part of the DEAs ongoing initiative Operation Crystal Shield, which is targeting cities where meth is often trafficked in bulk. That led investigators to begin tracking Magana. WAYNE COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) At least 20 people are charged in connection to a Middle Tennessee methamphetamine distribution ring. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Six people from Mexico are in federal custody in East Tennessee after a bust led to the discovery of more than 900 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated value of more than $13 million, authorities say. The individuals in question now face charges ranging from possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia to promotion of methamphetamine manufacture and felony evading arrest. First and second convictions for drug possession are a class A misdemeanor and the penalties include a jail term of up to one year, a fine of up to $2,500, or both. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Troy was founded in 1825 as the original county seat of Obion County. appreciated. Law enforcement is also witnessing, with heroin, an increase in the presence of Fentanyl (a powerful synthetic oppiate analgesic similar to but more potent than morphine), and its analogs. CONTACT:Tabatha Curtis,Statewide Coordinator. From mid-February until this week, "law enforcement intercepted numerous conversations over wiretaps in which (Magana) coordinated the distribution of kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and other drugs," the Francisco affidavit states. Updated: Aug 11, 2021 / 10:08 PM CDT. It just wouldnt happen. Our hands are tied with a near century old law that could not have foreseen the problem of illegal cell phones inside prisons in 2021.. WBBJ 7 Eyewitness . Authorities allege they've interrupted a methamphetamine supply line that stretched from Mexico to Georgia and up into East Tennessee and elsewhere. Another phenomenon is the introduction of counterfeit pills. Published During the search, law enforcement recovered more than five kilograms of heroin; more than 3 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture; approximately 1 kilogram of fentanyl, and more than 32 grams of cocaine base. Required fields are marked *. Wayne County Sheriff Shane Fisher said a routine drug. July 13, 2020. The drugs in that bust were seized at the Otay Mesa port of entry to San Diego. Drug Investigation Division Special Agents assigned to the Appalachia High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area focus their efforts on drug trafficking in counties throughout East and Upper East Tennessee. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Acting DEA Administrator Timothy Shea announced the bust at a press conference Wednesday. U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin, joined byFBI Special Agent in charge of the Memphis Division Douglas Korneski and DEA Special Agent in Charge of the Louisville Division J. Todd Scott, commended the investigative work of the agencies involved. At about 4:20 a.m. Thursday, deputies with the HCSO narcotics and tactical units along with agents of the Third Judicial Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force and officers with the Rogersville. On June 18, 2020, when Jenkins showed up to conduct the transaction, he was arrested by undercover officers. Officials have detained suspects and will continue to make arrests as the investigation continues. TBI spokesperson Leslie Earhart said the 2022 Enhanced Criminal Enforcement Operation centered around pursuing illicit drugs in seven East Tennessee counties. The amount seized is equal to a ton of meth. In one incident, the organization kidnapped a woman who lost drug proceeds and used a hatchet to chop off one of her hands, before leaving her lying on the street, the DOJ said. The multi-year investigation carried out by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), according to ICE. Task force director Johnie Carter said the numbers were "absolutely terrifying.". 219 3rd Ave N Between the fiscal years 2017-2019, DEA domestic seizures of meth increased 127% from 49,507 pounds to 112,146 pounds, according to the DEA. Demographic conditions of the Appalachia HIDTA, including relatively high unemployment and low median family income, create an environment where illegal activities and corruption can flourish. Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Support Center, TBI State Academy Leadership Development Experience, The Tennessee Alliance for Drug-Endangered Children, Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (AHIDTA), Appalachia High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking (GCHIDTA), Governor's Task Force on Marijuana Eradication, Tennessee Department Of Treasury Tort Liability Claims, CALEA Accreditation Public Comment Portal. Troy remained the county seat until 1890, when it was moved to Union City following a contentious legal dispute. "Once opened, the compartment was found to contain the suspected fentanyl and black tar heroin, as well as thousands of 30-milligram tablets believed to be Oxycodone.". According to the release, the saturation came on the heels of Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box and Lake County Sheriff Brian Avery recognizing the drug and violent crime issues within their jurisdictions and requesting assistance from Sterlin Wright, Special Agent in Charge of the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. according to a US Customs and Border Protection statement. You know its a tough time for everybody, he said. They were watching her some weeks later when they saw Seals -- the Knox County man -- pull up to an unidentified hotel in northern Georgia where Magana was staying. It's still an "ongoing investigation," according to Overbey's release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda J. Klopf prosecuted the case. The task force is made up of TBI Special Agents and officers from local law enforcement agencies. Los Angeles, one of nine cities targeted by Operation Crystal Shield, is a hub for drug traffickers because of the proximity to numerous freeways and airports. In the fight against contraband cell phones, we run into a brick wall time and time again, Parker said. in Local News. Both agencies led the arrest round up in Benton and Henry Counties on Tuesday as a part of Operation Icebreaker, a more than year-long drug investigation targeting methamphetamine and other. NASHVILLE - Eric Jenkins, 40, of Nashville, Tennessee, the final defendant in a large drug distribution conspiracy was sentenced Tuesday to 210 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. These districts include Fentress County in the 8th Judicial District, Jackson County in the 15th Judicial District, and Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and Cumberland counties in the 13th Judicial District. Cody Seals got into a shootout with authorities in Hamilton County in January. 2023 www.columbiadailyherald.com. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Other agencies involved include the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service in Knoxville, the Drug Enforcement Administration in Atlanta, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Ninth Judicial Drug Task Force in Tennessee. TBI reports said a multi-agency investigation into drug overdoses in Middle Tennessee, resulted in the arrest of two individuals from California with ties to the Sinola Cartel. We are taking the fight to the gangs in order to dismantle their drug trafficking organizations and remove them from our streets. Thats worth repeating. Jenkins was also charged with attempted possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine following a conviction for a serious drug felony. You will face the same charge for possession of a more harmless drug, such as marijuana, as you will face for possession of a very harmful substance, such as heroin or cocaine. Federal authorities have indicted 27 individuals in a massive, violent drug-trafficking scheme that operated out of a Tennessee state prison for years. of methamphetamine (ice), 500 fentanyl pills, and an additional 1.25 lbs. The TBIs Drug Investigation Division (DID) investigates and assists in the prosecution of crimes involving controlled substances, narcotics, and other illegal drugs. In 2020, Allen said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation saw 17 cases fatal and non-fatal involving nitazenes. This was a seriously deadly load, he said. The motto of the Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force continues to be Protect, Enforce, and Educate., The Tennessee Alliance for Drug-Endangered Children(TADEC) is comprised offederal, local, and state agencies who share a goal to prevent drug-related harm to children and rescue, shelter, and support Tennessees children who suffer physical and psychological harm caused by the manufacture, distribution, sale, and abuse ofprescription drugs and alcohol.. According to the task force, law enforcement agents stopped a 2010 Mercedes on I-40 near the Fayette County border Thursday for a violation of awindow tint law. Hidden on the property in various vehicles, including a bus, they found a total of 864 kilograms of meth, according to records. Harper alerted the agents "to the presence of a narcotic containing odor coming from the vehicle," task force officials said in a news release. If youve been arrested but didnt have enough of the controlled substance in your possession to be charged with manufacturing or distributing the drug, you will be charged with possession. He does not appear to have been charged with a federal offense. Further investigation revealed that Terry Smith a/k/a "Ali," a/k/a "Cockeye", Chief of Security for the Vice Lords street gang, arranged large quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl to be shipped into the Western District of Tennessee from Texas and Arizona. Phone: (615) 510-6404, 604 N High St While the agency was given a grant to conduct a pilot program, the Communications Act of 1934 prevents the technology from being used, according to Parker. While we continue to make progress reducing prescription drug issues, illicit opioid drug use continues to spawn the proliferation of heroin/fentanyl. Oftentimes, drug-endangered children are left to fend for themselves and the TADEC is committed to providing these children an opportunity to be protected from an environment they have done nothing to cause and from which they should have some recourse. The Governors Task Force on Marijuana Eradication (GTFME) was created by Executive Order No. "Seals emerged from his vehicle with an assault rifle and fired a very large number of shots at the troopers," according to an affidavit from Ted Francisco, a task force officer with Homeland Security Investigations.