A DeKalb County man, who stood trial last Thursday in DeKalb County Criminal Court, was found guilty on some of the drug charges against him.
Eddie Lattimore was charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia (syringes), possession of a schedule II controlled substance (dilaudid) with the intent to sell and deliver, possession of a schedule II drug (morphine) with intent to sell and deliver, and unlawful possession of a weapon.
A jury found him guilty of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and one count of possession of a schedule II controlled substance (dilaudid) with intent to sell and deliver. However in the other drug case, the jury convicted him of the lesser offense of simple possession of morphine and found him not guilty of the weapon charge.
Lattimore was arrested on December 31st, 2006 following an undercover investigation by the Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff Patrick Ray, at the time, said county officers went to the home of Lattimore at 3785 Pea Ridge Road to execute a search warrant following an extensive investigation of Lattimore and surveillance of his home on suspicion of drug dealing which led to two undercover drug buys of dilaudid.
Lattimore was arrested at the scene. Officers found some dilaudid, morphine, syringes, and seized more than $7,400 in cash. Authorities also found a 9 millimeter pistol in an outbuilding on Lattimore’s property.
Lattimore was fined a total of $7,500 by the jury and he will be sentenced by Judge Leon Burns, Jr. on June 20th. Lattimore has other drug charges pending against him.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has arrested six more people on sealed indictments returned by the Grand Jury last week.
Most are charged as a result of an undercover drug investigation by the Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says the latest to be picked up include:
34 year old Lisa Ann Dillon of Page Drive, Smithville- Theft over $10,000, and Destruction of valuable papers with the intent to defraud. Her total bond is $2,500.
Dillon was an employee at Insta Cash in Smithville. Sheriff Ray says Dillon was indicted because she was taking previous accounts and making ficticious loans in the account holder’s name and keeping the money for herself. After the loans went through, Dillon would then shred all the paper work. After an audit, it was found that over a 4 month period of time, Dillon took in excess of $15,000.
45 year old Linda West Barrett of Webb Lane, Smithville- Sale and Delivery of a Schedule II Drug (2 counts) (Dilaudid). Her bond is $25,000
21 year old Kara Funk of Kings Court Circle, Smithville- Sale and Delivery of a Schedule VI Drug (Marijuana). Her bond is $10,000
22 year old Corey Winchester of Bright Hill Road, Smithville- Sale and Delivery of a Schedule IV Drug (Xanax) and Sale and Delivery of a Schedule II Drug (Oxycontin).Total Bond $20,000
27 year old Amanda Certain Tarpley of Kings Court, Smithville- Sale and Delivery of a Schedule IV Drug (Xanax). Total Bond $10,000
41 year old Ed Tarpley Jr. of Kings Court, Smithville- Sale and Delivery of a Schedule IV Drug (Xanax). Total Bond $10,000.
All will appear in Criminal Court for arraignment Monday, April 14th at 9:00 a.m.
Meanwhile, in other cases, 27 year old Timothy Shane Likens of Dearman Street, Smithville was charged on April 1st with Violation of the Sex Offender Law.
Sheriff Ray says Likens was a registered sex offender here in DeKalb County and was listed on the registry at the Dearman Street address. Deputies have checked for Likens at this address several times and Likens was never to be found. After an investigation into Likens’ whereabouts, he was found to be living in Westmoreland. A warrant was issued for Likens for violation of the sex offender law. His bond is $10,000 and his court date is April 10th.
On April 3rd, Deputies received a call to respond to Allen Bend Road, Smithville to a possible burglary in progress at an abandoned house.
Sheriff Ray says upon arrival, deputies found the front door of the residence open and broken glass from the front door on the ground. After a search of the residence, officers found 21 year old Phillip Martin of Old Bildad Road, Smithville and 23 year old Crystal Dawn Butler of Allen Bend Road, Smithville, hiding behind an indoor air unit in the attic area of the home. Deputies also smelled marijuana in the room and Butler had in her possession a bong and a small amount of marijuana. Martin was placed under arrest and charged with burglary. Bond for Martin is $5,000 and his court date is April 17th. Butler was charged with burglary, simple possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Her bond is $7,500.00 and her court date is April 17th.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved legislation that makes persons convicted of sexual offenses ineligible for work release. The bill applies to sex offenders housed in local jails, private prisons or state correctional facilities.
“These offenders should not be out on work release,” said Judiciary Chairman Mae Beavers .”It is too big a risk that could endanger our citizens.”
Studies show that sex offenders are rarely, if ever, rehabilitated. This is one of the reasons Tennessee and other states have set up a sex offender registry.
“There are too many cases of sex offenders who repeat their crime,” Beavers added. “We must make public safety our first concern.”
Meanwhile, legislation that would prohibit the diversion of gas tax money from being diverted from the state’s road fund to the general fund to pay for other state government expenses was approved this week in the Senate Transportation Committee. The bill would eliminate the authority of state government to divert approximately $13.7 million in the highway user fees this year.
“Tennessee has a user ‘pay as you go’ road program,” said Senator Mae Beavers “We have not had to rely on bonds or indebtedness like so many other states to fund our highway program. If funds continue to be diverted, it will upset this balance and lead to many problems. It also leads to even more traffic congestion and an inadequate road system, which Tennessee had before we adopted this system.”
The Department of Transportation only spends the funds that are available through its dedicated revenues, the highway user taxes and fees, and federal funding. Called “dedicated funding” since users pay for the roads through gas taxes and fees, a portion of the gasoline tax also goes to cities and counties in Tennessee to fund local roads.
“We must also compete in a very competitive economic climate to bring jobs to our communities,” Beavers added. “We need the infrastructure to bring new and better paying jobs into Tennessee. Erosion of our road money is a big problem in this effort.”
The Highway Fund would receive approximately $11.4 million of the shifted funds under the bill, SB 2953. Local governments would receive the remaining $2.3 million.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to strengthen penalties against the worst drunk drivers by lowering the level Tennessee considers “extreme drunk driving” from .20 to .15. The bill would add up to seven more days of jail time for offenders who are convicted of an extreme drunk driving charge.
“This bill is one of a package of proposals that we are pushing this year,” said Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet), sponsor of the bill. “Fifty-two percent of drivers that were involved in alcohol-related fatalities had BAC levels at or above .16. Drivers at this level are 382 times more likely to be involved in a crash. We need to focus our resources on getting these offenders off our roads.”
Tennessee is one of few states in the nation that sets the standard at .20, a level when many drunk drivers lose consciousness. There were 1,287 fatalities on Tennessee roads with 509 due to alcohol-related crashes, a 7.6 percent increase from the previous year. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of deaths among persons between the ages of 3 and 33, with 50% of them being alcohol-related crashes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has conducted studies showing extreme drunk driving laws work. NHTSA includes the .15 standard for extreme drunk driving in its model legislation for a comprehensive approach to lowering the incidence of DUI in states. Currently, Tennessee has only five of the eleven elements proposed by NHTSA in their model bill.
The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) will have a special meeting on Wednesday to consider a resolution calling for removal of William E. Gibson from the office of District Attorney General of the Thirteenth Judicial District by the state of Tennessee. Tennessee’s Constitution provides that attorneys for the state may be removed from office by a concurrent two-thirds vote of both Houses of the General Assembly, each House voting separately. The resolution calling for removal, if approved, could be on the floor as early as next Thursday. The thirteenth district includes Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam and White Counties
Senator Jim Tracy won Senate approval of legislation he sponsored that would end the rights of a member of the General Assembly to continue receiving healthcare benefits if they are convicted of a felony for misuse of their office. The bill requires the state to end the benefits upon conviction or upon a plea of guilty to such charges if the charges are in relation to the member’s official capacity as a legislator.
Senator Randy McNally guided legislation through the full Senate this week that adds abuse of inhalants to the state’s DUI laws. The bill authorizes various forms of education and treatment; and requires investigation involving inhalant abuse. Inhalants produce an effect that may be similar to alcohol intoxication. Police are seeing a proliferation of this dangerous practice, including a case earlier this month where a driver who had been “huffing” a pressurized dust remover crashed into a Rutherford County special education school bus.

Officers of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department spent several hours Thursday night arresting defendants named in sealed indictments by the Grand Jury this week.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says most of the defendants are charged with various drug offenses as a result of an eleven month undercover investigation by the Sheriff’s Department. “There were a total of 141 sealed indictments that involved 40 drug defendants and 5 sealed indictments that involved 3 defendants for theft crimes. This undercover drug operation has been in effect for approximately 11 months. We started this drug investigation after the 2007 April Term of the Grand Jury last year. We’ve bought prescription drugs such as hydrocodone, dilaudid, xanax, oxycontin, valium, phenergan, and marijuana. Through this operation, we have made drug buys from these defendants and executed search warrants on the big dealers.We decided to take arrests warrants for General Sessions Court on the big dealers instead of waiting till this Grand Jury session. We felt like we needed to take the dealers off the streets as quickly as possible, instead of allowing them to run free and sell major quantities of drugs in our county. I made a promise to you, the citizens of DeKalb County, that I would target drug dealers who are putting drugs on out on our streets and my staff and I are working hard each day to fulfill that promise. I would encourage anyone who knows or even suspects that drugs are being sold on our streets, to call me at 597-4935 or call the drug tip line at 464-6400. All calls are kept confidential”
The DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s Main Station on King Ridge Road served as the headquarters for the Thursday night roundup. After processing some paperwork on the defendants there, officers transported the prisoners to the jail.
The names of the defendants arrested so far and their charges are as follows:
40 year old Mark Robinson of Dry Creek Road, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule IV controlled substance (Xanax), and conspiracy to sell a schedule IV controlled substance (Xanax). Total bond- $20,000
37 year old Kyra Robinson of Braswell Lane, Smithville- conspiracy to sell a Schedule IV controlled substance (Xanax). Bond- $10,000
38 year old Tina Dorton of Luttrell Avenue, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug within 1,000 feet of a school (Dilaudid); sale and delivery of a schedule IV drug within 1,000 feet of a school (Valium); and sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Dilaudid). Total Bond $25,000
27 year old Amanda Bain Hicks of The Loop, Smithville-sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Dilaudid).Bond $10,000
30 year old Jeremy Bandy of Walker Drive, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (2 counts) (Oxycontin).Bond $20,000
21 year old Chris Mulford of Kings Court Lane, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule VI controlled substance (Marijuana)
Bond $10,000.
32 year old Patricia Crook of Highland Street, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (2 counts) (Hydrocodone)
Bond $10,000
34 year old Scottie Sykes of Alexander Street, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (2 counts) (Dilaudid). Bond $10,000.
46 year old Jackie Mullican of South College Street, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Dilaudid)
Bond $10,000
32 year old Donna Thompson of Tommy Harrell Street, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (2 counts) (Hydrocodone). Bond $10,000.
43 year old Tonya Caldwell of Cill Street, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (2 counts) (Dilaudid).Bond $25,000.
40 year old William Ray Cantrell of Redmon Road, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Dilaudid), sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (Hydocodone), and sale and delivery of a schedule IV drug (Valium)Total Bond $35,000
24 year old Brandon Tallent of Big Rock Road, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Dilaudid). Bond $10,000
26 year old Kenny Bain Jr. of Old West Point Road, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Dilaudid). Bond $10,000
33 year old Joseph Barnes of Possum Hollow Lane, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Oxycontin). Bond $10,000.
27 year old Brian Pack of West Main Street, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Oxycontin). Bond $10,000
52 year old Mark West of Seven Springs Road- sale and delivery of a schedule IV drug (Xanax) and attempt to sell and deliver a schedule II drug (Dilaudid). Total Bond $10,000.
49 year old Gwynn Prater of Jerry Walker Road, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (4 counts) (Dilaudid) and sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (Hydocodone). Total Bond $25,000
33 year old Tabatha Murphy of Marshall Lane, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (4 counts) (Dilaudid) and sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (Hydocodone).Total Bond $25,000.
52 year old Jeana Brown of Seven Springs Road- sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (Hydrocodone) and sale and delivery of a schedule IV drug (2 counts) (Valium).Total Bond $10,000.
47 year old Terry Price of Seven Springs Road- sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (Hydrocodone) and sale and delivery of a schedule IV drug (Valium). Total Bond $10,000.
24 year old Brandon Caldwell of Holmes Creek Road, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (2 counts) (Dilaudid) and attempt to sell and deliver a schedule II drug (Dilaudid).Total Bond $25,000.
25 year old Paul Eric Ervin of Big Hurricane Road- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Oxycontin) Total Bond $10,000.
25 year old Sandy “Rusty” Young of Young Ridge Road, Sparta- attempt to sell and deliver a schedule II drug (Dilaudid). Total Bond $10,000
31 year old Carla Chapman of West 7th Street, Cookeville- attempt to sell and deliver a schedule II drug (Dilaudid). Total Bond $10,000.
20 year old Steven Cantrell of West Main Street, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule VI drug (Marijuana). Total Bond $10,000.
57 year old Larry Keaton of South Tittsworth Road, Smithville- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (2 counts) (Dilaudid). Total Bond $25,000.
41 year old Gary Hale of South Tittsworth Road- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Dilaudid)
Total Bond $25,000
41 year old Debbie Cantrell of South Tittsworth Road- sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Dilaudid). Total Bond $25,000
32 year old Waylon Farless of Hales Lane, Dowelltown- burglary and theft over $1,000. Bond- $10,000
Sheriff Ray says Farless was indicted for allegedly breaking into an outbuilding on Smith Fork Road in Dowelltown in February of this year. Farless allegedly took assorted shop tools from the outbuilding valued at over $1,000
More arrests are forthcoming.
All those indicted will appear for arraignment in DeKalb County Criminal Court on Monday, April 14th at 9:00 a.m.
*** In the larger picture above, officers Jody Johnson and Roger Whitehead are obtaining information from defendants Chris Mulford (wearing sleeveless tee shirt) and Paul Eric Ervin (wearing cap). Ervin is charged with sale and delivery of a schedule II controlled substance. Mulford is charged with sale and delivery of a schedule VI controlled substance
***In the smaller picture below, Sheriff Patrick Ray is interviewing defendant Patricia Crook. She is charged with sale and delivery of a schedule III controlled substance ( 2 counts)

Four candidates will be running for Alderman in the Liberty Municipal Election on August 7th.
Three aldermen will be elected.
Those positions are currently held by Jerry Johnson, Paul Neal, and Dwight Mathis. Johnson, Mathis, and Neal have qualified to seek another term. Todd Dodd will also be in the race.
The Dowelltown City Election will also be held on August 7th to elect a mayor and two aldermen.
The positions in Dowelltown are currently held by Mayor Gerald Bailiff and Aldermen Joe Bogle and Jr. Bratten.
Mayor Bailiff and Alderman Bogle have qualified to seek re-election. Elizabeth Redmon has also qualified to run for Alderman.

The fifth and sixth district school board races will be contested on August 7th
The positions are currently held by W.J. (Dub) Evins III in the fifth district and Linda Fuston in the sixth district.
Evins will be challenged for re-election by Larry Evans and Bruce Parsley will be running against Fuston
The terms are for four years.
The other five school board positions are up for election in 2010.
School board candidates do not run as Republicans or Democrats, but as Independents or non-partisan candidates.

Two people were injured Tuesday evening when their car plunged several feet off a steep embankment on the Cookeville Highway just a short distance south of Hurricane Bridge.
Trooper Dewaine Jennings of the Tennessee Highway Patrol says 24 year old Roberto Perez of Cookeville was driving a 1994 Chevy Camaro south on Highway 56 when he failed to properly negotiate a curve, left the road to the right, struck a utility pole guide wire, went off a steep embankment, and struck a tree.
Perez and a passenger, 48 year old Maria Mendez of Cookeville, were later taken by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital where they were treated and released. Perez said he was taking Mendez to work when the crash occurred. She is employed at Tenneco.
A witness claims that the car was traveling south when it went over the yellow line of the highway and then overcorrected before losing control.
After the accident, another passerby, 31 year old Juan Gaspar of Cookeville, who was driving a blue Mustang enroute to his job at Tenneco, stopped at the scene. Perez got in the car with Gaspar and they drove away, leaving Mendez behind. The two men claim they did not know each other.
Central dispatch was notified and officers were alerted to be on the lookout for the blue Mustang. A county deputy stopped Gaspar’s car at the Keystop Market on Cookeville Highway (formerly Robert’s Grocery). Perez claims his intent was not to flee the scene, but to get to the hospital.
Gaspar and Perez were returned to the site of the crash
EMS treated Perez and Mendez at the scene and then transported them to the hospital.
Perez was charged with failure to maintain the lane of travel, driving without a license, and violation of the financial responsibility law (no insurance)
Gaspar was charged with do drivers license and no insurance