Another Arrest Made in Recent Burglary

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has arrested another person in the recent burglary of a local business on Highway 70 east.
Sheriff Patrick Ray reports that 26 year old Johnna Michelle Maynard of Banks Pisgah Road, Smithville is charged with burglary and theft of property over $1,000. She is also cited for simple possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. Maynard was arrested on Tuesday, April 3. She will be in court on April 18. Her bond is $10,000.
Sheriff Ray reports that on or about March 17, Maynard served as a lookout while another person (Willie Ray Murphy) broke into a business on East Broad Street, taking several items. She is accused of helping in the commission of the theft.
During her arrest, Maynard told a drug detective that she had two needles in her bra and a bottle of xanax in her body cavity. A female correctional officer removed those items from Maynard. Found were eight and a half lorazopam pills (2 milligrams) and five lorazapam (1 milligram) pills along with the needles.
Maynard is the third person charged in this case. 28 year old Matthew Malachi Lawson of Haley Road, Smithville and 29 year old Willie Ray Murphy of West Bryant Street, Smithville are also charged with burglary and theft of property over $1,000. They were arrested on Friday, March 23.
According to Sheriff Ray, “Murphy went around to the side of the building (a business) and busted out a glass door. He then entered the business. While Murphy was in there, he took out some power tools for concrete work. Lawson, who brought Murphy to the business, sat in the vehicle and served as a lookout person. Lawson then left and later returned to pick up Murphy and the stolen equipment”.
50 year old Lucille Killian Wright of Ragland Bottom, Sparta is charged with violation of an order of protection. She was arrested on April 3. Wright will be in court April 19. Her bond is $1,500.
Sheriff Ray reports that a deputy, while responding to a complaint of a female threatening another person at Ragland Bottom, found Wright causing the disturbance. By being near the person who had taken out the order of protection against her, Wright was found to be in violation of the order.
50 year old Danny Ray Ponder is charged with theft of property under $500. His bond is $3,500 and he will be in court April 19. Sheriff Ray reports that on Wednesday, April 4 a deputy was called to a location on Old Mill Hill Road, where someone had reportedly stolen some metal. Upon arrival, the officer found Ponder to be the suspect. He also saw metal roofing in the bed of Ponder’s truck. The deputy asked Ponder if he had permission to take the metal. Ponder replied “no”.
33 year old Christina Marie McClain of Earl Steel Road, Brush Creek is charged with two counts of forgery. Her bond is $3,000 and she will be in court on April 19. She was arrested on April 5. Sheriff Ray said that two checks, which were stolen from a location in Smith County, were forged and cashed at an Alexandria business last month. He said that on Thursday, March 22, McClain passed a forged check on an account in the amount of $185.15. The victim stated that she had not signed the check nor authorized anyone else to sign it. Four days later on Monday, March 26, McClain passed another forged check in the amount of $240 at the same business.
43 year old Elsie Mae Judkins of Jefferson Road, Smithville was named in sealed indictments returned by the grand jury last week, charged with aggravated burglary, theft over $1,000, burglary, and theft under $500. Her bond is $20,000. Judkins was arrested April 5 and she will be in court May 25.
77 year old William Albert Warren of Holiday Haven Road, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court June 14. Sheriff Ray reports that on Sunday, April 8, Warren’s pickup truck was stopped by a deputy after the officer saw it traveling in the middle of the roadway on Short Mountain Highway. Warren had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and his speech was slurred. He was very unsteady on his feet and he could not perform any field sobriety tasks. He did submit to a blood alcohol test. Warren told the officer that he had consumed three beers.