219 3rd Ave N The TBI/TDDTF is an integral member of this task force by operating as the Program Director. Columbia, TN 38401 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A multi-agency drug investigation led to the discovery of nearly a half million dollars worth of cocaine and the arrest of . But police found a pelican case they'd left behind that had about 500 grams of suspected methamphetamine, according to records. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the unsealing of the federal criminal complaint today. 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. 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. A sworn statement from the passenger riding with then Nolensville commissioner Lisa Garramone in October 2020 claims she was driving just before an officer suspected she was drunk. Jenkins, along with Jacob Mosely, 40, and Howard Dowell, 50, also of Nashville, were indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020 and charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and 28 grams or more of cocaine; and possession with intent to distribute these drugs. Oct 12, 2020 An official website of the United States government. This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The Gulf Coast HIDTA funds four law enforcement initiatives in Shelby County; the Shelby County HIDTA Drug Task Force led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Shelby County MultiAgency Gang Unit led by the Memphis Police Department, Memphis Case Advocacy Program led by the United States Attorney's Office, and Border Enforcement Security Task Force led by United States Homeland Security Investigations. The 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.. Task force director Johnie Carter said the numbers were "absolutely terrifying.". He was a Naval veteran, having served on the USS Chatelain, part of the 10th Atlantic Fleet, during WWII. He utilized a large distribution network that ranged from Western Kentucky to Northwest Mississippi. Class D Felony: 2 to 12 years. The Middle Tennessee HIDTA Task Force is in the counties of Middle Tennessee as identified by the Appalachia HIDTA. If youve been charged with drug possession, you face serious repercussions if you are convicted. The TDDTF educates the public about the dangers of all scheduled drugs and works to support law enforcement and other stakeholders by supplying equipment, training, intelligence, and investigative tools to assist in strategically identifying, targeting, and prosecuting drug offenders. 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. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The University of Tennessee's campus police and Knoxville Police Department executed a search warrant for narcotics 1618 Forest Avenue in Knoxville on August 19 around 1 p.m. Savannah Padgett and Sophia Featherstone, both UT college students, lived at the same residence and were also on the search warrants as suspects. Agents became suspicious after questioning the two men in the vehicle both from California and utilized a narcotics detection dog, Harper, to conduct a free-air sniff around the car. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. In order to complete its mission, the division has original jurisdiction in opening cases involving illegal drugs and at any time could have more than 600 active cases. The technology would essentially jam the signals of cellphones smuggled into prisons. The population was 1,423 at the 2020 census. The investigation began in March 2020 and focused on drug trafficking in the Knoxville area in eastern Tennessee. The penalties for these felonies range in length: Class B Felony: 8 to 30 years. 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 MEMPHIS, Tenn. Seventeen people have been charged in federal court with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana into and throughout West. Second-Largest Border Meth Bust in History Announced Drug Bust Sep 16, 2020 CBP Finds $3.9 Million Worth of Meth, Cocaine in Boulders at Tecate Crossing Also seized were 893 pounds (405. By ClarksvilleNow.com January 28, 2020 12:47 pm. Assistant U.S. Court appearanceshave yet to beset for the 14suspects who will go before US District Court in Nashville. A second indictment charges seven individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, oxycodone, and marijuana, between October 2017 and November 2020. Example video title will go here for this video. The Gulf Coast HIDTA encompasses designated counties/parishes across the six states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda J. Klopf prosecuted the case. 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 primary objective and mission of the GTFME remains to provide public safety for the citizens of Tennesseethrough: Go to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). You can also be fined an additional $10,000 for third and subsequent offenses if you committed the offense near a school or other drug-free zone. And you know some people turn to drugs to deal with that.. But after a local and Acting DEA Administrator Timothy Shea announced the bust at a press conference Wednesday. Hardin County Government - Hardin County, Tennessee - Official . All Rights Reserved. TBI DID has one Special Agent Criminal Investigator assigned full-time to the Border Enforcement Security Task Force. He went into the building, and when he came back out he was carrying a Doritos bag, according to records. 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. Your email address will not be published. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeChristenCDH and on Instagram at @michaelmarco. 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. February 8, 2023 The most serious of which are pills containing Fentanyl. Did you encounter any technical issues? Doug Overbey, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, made the announcement Thursday. 51 in 1983. Convictions for third and subsequent possessions are class E felonies, and they will land you one to six years in prison, a fine of up to $3,000, or both. The Jefferson City Police Department Aggressive Criminal Enforcement unit has ended a lengthy undercover operation that resulted in 31 Jefferson County grand jury indictments for the sale and. The drugs were seized at an alleged stash house east of Los Angeles in Perris, California, on October 2. Magana is a central figure in the alleged operation, records indicate. "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. The post Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Announces Major Drug Bust Involving Fentanyl and Fentanyl Laced Drugs appeared first on Thunderbolt Radio. 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. 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. Officials have detained suspects and will continue to make arrests as the investigation continues. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) - January 28, 2020 - Nine people have been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with conspiracies to . U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Tennessee, Kilos of Heroin, Fentanyl & Cocaine Distributed in the Nashville Area, Lengthy Prison Sentences For Three Nashville Drug Dealers, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Last Of Gangster Disciples Sentenced In Racketeering & Drug Trafficking Conspiracy, Nashville Trio Facing Federal Human Trafficking & Drug Distribution Charges, Mid-State Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Distribution And Firearms Charges. Special Agents assigned to the Drug Investigation Division cooperate with local, state, and especially federal law enforcement agencies, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Tennessees United States Attorneys offices. In August 2010, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) designated Shelby County to be included in the Gulf Coast HIDTA. 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. The arrests and drug seizure was made possible after agents developed information about a shipment of drugs being sent to Murfreesboro from California. The DEAs focus is to interrupt the drug transportation chain in the cities that account for 75% distribution of all meth distributed in the country, Shea said. Agents had been tracking Magana for weeks through wire intercepts and other means, according to records. The drugs were seized on October 2. Updated: Aug 11, 2021 / 10:08 PM CDT. Class E Felony: 1 to 6 years. These counterfeits are compiled of various concoctions and are not what they appear to be. They're charged in a complaint with taking part in a meth distribution ring. Reach Mike Christenat mchristen@c-dh.net. 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. The seizure was part of the DEAs ongoing initiative Operation Crystal Shield, which is targeting cities where meth is often trafficked in bulk. Tri-City Metro Drug Task Force seized cash and more than 15 pounds of methamphetamine and 10 pounds of marijuana in a drug bust this week. Required fields are marked *. Acting DEA Administrator Timothy Shea announced the bust at a press conference Wednesday. "The drugs are getting more and more. 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. 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. Agents recovered fentanyl, heroin and thousands of pills believed to be Oxycodone. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The night of Jan. 9, Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers tried to pull Seals over in Hamilton County on Highway 27. Mosley and Jenkins were charged with committing these crimes following a conviction for a serious drug felony. Someone whos responsible for this quantity of drugs is someone who is very, very trusted by the cartels, Bodner said. Drug Seizure Statistics FY2023 As of 15 December 2021 the Drug Seizures dashboard now includes seizures of all drug types. The massive operation was led by 29-year-old Humberto Morales of Tennessee who has been incarcerated at the Tennessee State Prison since 2014. 7:33 PM EDT, Wed October 14, 2020. 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. tennessee narcotic drug bust in which has been filed a felony counts of!. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Lawler Parham is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. On May 4, 2021, Jacob Mosely was sentenced to 210 months in prison and Howard Dowell was sentenced to 135 months in prison. Marshals Service while in TDOC custody at the West Tennessee State Penitentiary, and transferred to federal pre-trial custody. The increase of heroin abuse has created an epidemic rate increase of overdoses and deaths. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The court may also require you to take drug education classes or perform community service. The charges carry sentences of between five years and life in prison. Its important to know also that possession can mean anything from having the drugs in your pocket to having them in your car or even near you.