40 year old Timothy Wade Ford of Brush Creek was sentenced Friday in DeKalb County Criminal Court, one month after being convicted of initiating a process for manufacturing methamphetamine.
Judge David Patterson sentenced Ford to eleven years and six months following a hearing.
Ford, who stood trial in DeKalb County Criminal Court on Wednesday, April 20th, is one of three people accused of cooking meth at the swimming hole on Dry Creek at Dowelltown in May 2010.
In addition to the prison term, Ford must pay a $15,000 fine imposed by the jury of seven women and five men who found him guilty.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Greg Strong and Phillip Hatch. Ford was represented by local attorney Jim Judkins.
Ford and two co-defendants, 35 year old Terry Wayne Daniels of Alexandria and 24 year old Lydia R. Judkins of Smithville were all arrested in this case on Friday, May 21, 2010
The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department received a call that day of a possible meth lab in operation at the swimming hole at Dry Creek. Deputies Jeremy Taylor and Steven Barrett responded to the scene and found a pick up truck, but there was no one inside. Shortly after their arrival, the officers heard something in the tall weeds about one hundred feet from the truck and went to investigate. There, they found Daniels and Lydia Judkins engaging in sexual activity. From another location nearby, the officers also heard the sound of glass clinking together. When officer Taylor went to check it out, he found Ford kneeling in tall weeds surrounded by meth lab components including a 2 liter bottle, tubing, drain cleaner, gloves, cold packs, jars that contained 2 layered liquids, coleman fuel, funnels, alcohol, electrical tape, and other items. It appeared that Ford was preparing to cook some methamphetamine, according to Sheriff Patrick Ray.
Ford, Daniels, and Lydia Judkins were all placed under arrest at the scene and a search of Daniels’ truck yielded more items commonly used in the manufacture of meth. After arriving at the jail, officers found in Ford’s pants pocket a bag that contained a powdery substance believed to be ephedrine.
Sheriff Ray and deputies Taylor and Barrett testified for the prosecution during the trial. Ford testified in his own defense, denying that the meth lab belonged to him. Ford claims that he, Daniels, and Judkins drove to the swimming hole that day in Daniels pickup truck. Inside the truck were the meth lab components. According to Ford, after arriving at the swimming hole, Daniels and Lydia Judkins got out of the truck and left him alone. Fearing that he might be caught with the incriminating materials, Ford claims he removed those items from the truck and was placing them in the weeds, when officers arrived and discovered him.
Neither Daniels or Lydia Judkins were called to testify in the case.
In February, Lydia Judkins pleaded guilty to initiation of the manufacture of meth. She received an eight year sentence, all suspended to probation, supervised by community corrections. She was given credit for time served and fined $2,000. Judkins was given jail credit from October 10th, 2010 to February 7th.
The case against Daniels, also charged with initiation of a process to manufacture methamphetamine, remains pending in court.
50 year old Timothy Riley pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated burglary and received a three year sentence in each case on probation.. The sentences are to run concurrent with each other and concurrent with a Warren County probation case against him. Riley was given credit for 611 days of jail time served from September 15, 2009 to May 20, 2011.
30 year old Joseph Daniel Richardson of Church Street, Liberty pleaded guilty by information to one count of aggravated burglary and one count of theft over $10,000. He received a three year sentence in each case, all suspended to supervised probation except for 180 days to serve. The sentences are to run concurrently with each other and concurrent with a violation of probation case against him. He was given jail credit from April 5th to May 20th.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Monday, April 4th, Richardson allegedly entered a residence on Dry Creek Road with the intent to commit a theft. Richardson apparently made entry by pushing on the locked back door with his shoulder. Items taken were twenty five dollar gold pieces on a chain, two and a half dollar gold pieces on a chain, five dollar gold pieces on a chain, approximately one hundred fifty pieces of miscellaneous items, a medicine organizer, and a quilt. All items were valued at $15,070 dollars.
24 year old Kenny W. Dyal, Jr., who pleaded guilty to five charges of burglary in March, received an eight year sentence to serve one year after a hearing on Friday.
38 year old Amy G. Odell pleaded guilty to initiation of the manufacture of methamphetamine. She received a six year sentence, suspended to 216 days of jail time served. She will be on community corrections for the balance of the sentence.
23 year old Brian Thomason pleaded guilty to six counts of auto burglary and received a total sentence of eight years. In each of the six counts, Thomason received a two year term. Four of the sentences will run consecutive or back to back for a total of eight years. The other two cases will run concurrent or together with each other, concurrent with the eight year term, and concurrent with a violation of probation against him. Thomason must make restitution in amounts to be determined. He was also given jail credit from December 1st to May 20th.
Thomason was charged in connection with a rash of Smithville car burglaries in November.
Detective Matt Holmes of the Smithville Police Department told WJLE after Thomason’s arrest in December that these crimes occurred on Whaley and Cill Street.
According to Detective Holmes, Thomason is believed to have broken into and stolen items from vehicles parked at homes on 420 Whaley Street, 407 Whaley Street, 613 Cill Street, 620 Cill Street, and 701 Cill Street. The break-ins are believed to have occurred during the early morning hours of Tuesday, November 23rd before daylight. The residents at all these addresses called police to report the break-ins and thefts later that morning after making the discoveries.
20 year old Ray Underwood pleaded guilty to promotion of the manufacture of methamphetamine. He received a two year sentence, all suspended to supervised probation except for time served. The sentence is to run concurrent with a Warren County case against him. Underwood was given jail credit from December 28th to May 20th.
21 year old Jeremy Shelton pleaded guilty to possession of a schedule II controlled substance with intent to sell. He received a three year sentence, all suspended to supervised probation. He was given credit for 109 days of time served. The sentence is to run consecutive to a violation of probation against him.
23 year old Coty McCormick pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule VI controlled substance. He received a two year sentence, all suspended to probation and he was fined $2,000. The sentence is to run concurrent with another case against him. McCormick has already completed eleven months of probation from November 18th, 2009 to October 15th, 2010. He still has one year left on probation.
53 year old James Thomen pleaded guilty by information to reckless driving and received a six month sentence on supervised probation. He was fined $350.
26 year old Ellissa Howard pleaded guilty by information to reckless driving and received six month sentence on good behavior probation. However if she returns to DeKalb County her probation must be supervised.
42 year old Donna Estes pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, all suspended to supervised probation. She was fined $150. The sentence is to run concurrent with state probation against her to be supervised by the Tennessee Board of Pardons and Parole.
35 year old Sharon Skinner pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, all suspended to time served. She was given jail credit of seven months.
28 year old Tommy Parsley pleaded guilty to evading arrest and received a two year sentence, all suspended to time served. The case is to run concurrent with three other cases against him. He was given jail credit from November 8, 2010 to May 20th.
25 year old Stephen Pugh pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a revoked license. Pugh received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days in the paraphernalia case, all suspended to supervised probation. He was fined $150 in that case. Pugh received a six month sentence in the driving on revoked license case, all suspended to supervised probation. The two sentences will run concurrent with each other. Pugh will lose his drivers license for a period of time, as per the Tennessee Department of Safety regulations. He was given fifteen days of jail credit.
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