KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On April 16, 2019, a federal grand jury in Knoxville returned an eight-count indictment against Damion Knox, 34, Darnez Turner, 30, Jeremiah Johnson, 23, and Papa Diop, 23, all of Detroit, Michigan; Joshua Cooper, 37, Virgil Crawford, 45, Jessica Bouvier, 30, Stephen Bouvier, 38, Jama Collier, 23, and Tina Berry, 55, all of Knoxville, Tennessee; and, five individuals not yet in federal custody at the time of this release. This case has been set for trial on July 1, 2019.
CHATTANOOGA – Special Agents with the Drug Investigation Division of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation were part of a multi-agency arrest round-up in Franklin County this week that resulted in the arrest of 12 people on a variety of drug-related charges.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On April 30, 2018, Maximino Contreras, 47, of Tollison, Arizona, was sentenced by the Honorable Pamela L. Reeves, U.S. District Judge, to serve 210 months in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy.
A Florida pilot and a California woman face prosecution after police say they found them at the Crossville airport with about 150 pounds of "pharmaceutical grade" marijuana.
The TBI identified the pair as Dennis Howard Bonneau, 47, of Weston, Fla., and Erin Elizabeth Reed, 34, of Arcata, California.
They were being held in the Cumberland County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bond each. They each face a count of manufacturing, sale or delivery of a schedule VI (marijuana) drug.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On June 28, 2017, Darius Jermaine Blakemore, a.k.a. Tank, 28, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin resulting in death, distribution of heroin resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute crack, and possession with intent to distribute heroin. He entered this guilty plea during the second day of his trial for the same offenses.
A multiple-agency drug bust in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn Express in Tiftonia on Tuesday night led to one of the largest meth seizures ever in the Hamilton County area.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Narcotics and Special Operations Division, along with Tennessee Bureau of Investigation personnel, the Chattanooga Police Department and the DEA arrested Chattanooga's Mathew Turner after a search of his vehicle revealed a pound of crystal meth and two hand guns.
As the rate of overdose deaths continues to skyrocket across the state, the Knoxville Police Department announced Wednesday the formation of a special task force to target the drug dealers responsible.
There have been 17 prospective overdose deaths in Knox County so far in 2017, and there were 237 prospective overdose deaths in 2016, according Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen. If confirmed, 2016's figure will mark a sizable increase from 2015's number of 170 deaths.
KNOXVILLE (WATE) – Six members of the Mafia Insane Vice Lords street gang were indicted in a heroin distribution ring, according to Knox County District Attorney Office.
Knox County Attorney General Charme Allen said the case marks the first time that Knox County prosecutors have charged individuals using the state’s Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization statute and the first time the statute has been used to charge street game members in the state of Tennessee. “The RICO statute attacks the entirety of the organization,” said Assistant District Attorney Sean McDermott.
CLINTON (WATE) – District Attorney General Dave Clark announced Monday that 35 people have been arrested in a multi-county criminal investigation that spanned several years.
A grand jury returned 119 indictments against 35 people in what District Attorney Clark said was a large-scale cocaine trafficking group. He said these are “major drug dealers,” and charges include everything from possessing more than 300 grams of cocaine to producing cocaine in a school zone.
The drug problem in Blount County is rampant enough to warrant a federal designation — and help from federal agencies, said the Director of National Drug Control Policy Michael Botticelli.
At a press conference Thursday afternoon at the West Knoxville campus of South College, Botticelli announced Blount is one of 14 counties in 10 states nationwide being newly designated as part of High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas. Along with Carroll and Grayson counties, both in Virginia, it was one of three Appalachian counties to be added.