Four more defendants were arrested over the weekend, charged in sealed indictments returned last week by the grand jury as a result of an undercover drug investigation by the sheriff’s department.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said the latest to be picked up and their charges include the following:
27 year old Anthony Joe Hamilton of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) ($80,000 bond)
43 year old Kimberly Ann Patterson of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (2 counts) ($60,000 bond)
30 year old David Glenn Sparks of Quebeck – Theft of property over $1,000 ($20,000 bond)
35 year old Bobby Wayne Pinegar, Jr.- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) ($80,000 bond)
Hamilton, Patterson, Sparks, and Pinegar along with the thirty nine others who were indicted and arrested last week will appear for arraignment in criminal court on Friday, February 24. Twelve more who were indicted in this investigation have yet to be arrested.
Meanwhile in his regular weekly crime report Sheriff Ray said that 50 year old Sabra Maurine Bussell of Halls Hollow Road, Smithville is charged with DUI and introduction of drugs into a penal institution. She was further issued a citation for failure to carry a drivers license and registration for her vehicle, hit and run, and failure of due care. Her bond totals $6,500 and she will be in court March 8.
Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday February 2, Bussell was involved in a hit and run accident. After stopping Bussell’s vehicle, the arresting officer noticed that she had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person. Her speech was slurred and she was unsteady on her feet. Bussell performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. She submitted to a blood test.
Bussell could not provide a valid drivers license or registration. She also had a 1.75 liter open container of rum and failed to show due care.
Later, as correctional officers were removing her from the cell into the booking area of the jail, Bussell dropped a plastic bag containing marijuana, two pills believed to be soma, and three pills believed to be Valium.
26 year old Stephen Hunter Pugh of Woodbury Highway, Liberty is charged with a second offense of driving under the influence and driving on a revoked license. He was issued citations for not wearing a seatbelt, violation of the registration law, violation of the financial responsibility law, simple possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of the open container law. Pugh will be in court on February 9 and his bond totals $4,500.
Sheriff Ray reports that on Thursday, February 2 a deputy stopped to perform a welfare check on a vehicle parked in the roadway on L. Hendrixson Road. The driver, Pugh had apparently passed out. The deputy awoke Pugh, who had very slurred speech and an alcoholic beverage in his hand. Pugh was very unsteady on his feet and had trouble staying awake. He performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. He submitted to a blood test. A computer check revealed his license to be revoked for driving under the influence on May 14, 2009 in DeKalb County. Pugh could not show proof of insurance or registration and he was not wearing a seatbelt. He also had a small amount of marijuana on his person. Two syringes were found in the floorboard of the vehicle, which Pugh admitted belonged to him.
26 year old Melinda Beth Murphy is charged with theft of property under $500. Her bond totals $2,500 and she will be in court on February 16. According to Sheriff Ray, Murphy allegedly took three blank checks valued at less than $500 from a residence on Evergreen Circle. She was arrested on Friday, February 3.
21 year old Craig Randall Whitaker of Lost Creek Lane, Carthage is charged with driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on February 16.
Sheriff Ray reports that on Saturday, February 4 a deputy stopped to do a welfare check on a vehicle parked on the side of the road on Highway 70. The door on the driver’s side was open. Whitaker, the driver, was passed out under the steering wheel. The arresting officer initially could not wake him up. DeKalb EMS was called to the scene to check on him. Whitaker had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet. He performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. He submitted to a blood test and admitted to the deputy that he had consumed too much alcohol. Whitaker was believed to be under the influence of either alcohol or drugs.
44 year old Andy Butch May of Midway Road, Smithville is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on February 16. Sheriff Ray reports that on Sunday, February 5 the sheriff’s office received a call about someone walking in the roadway on Highway 70. Upon arrival, the deputy found May beside the road. May had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was very unsteady on his feet. May admitted to the officer that he had too much to drink. For his safety, May was arrested to get him off the roadway.
Meanwhile, two DUI arrests were made last week by Trooper Allen England of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
63 year old Jerry Hutchings, Sr. is charged with driving under the influence, and possession of a schedule III and IV drug. His bond totals $4,500 and he will be in court on April 19.
According to the warrant, Trooper England stopped Hutchings on Wednesday, February 1 on Highway 56 south near South College Street for failure to maintain lanes. “Upon contact with the driver, Mr. Hutchings stated he had taken a xanax at lunch. He had drank a 24 ounce Coors lite on the drive home. He also stated that he took a hydrocodone at bedtime last night (Tuesday) with a restoril sleeping pill. Mr Hutchings failed field sobriety tasks and was placed under arrest”, according to the warrant. Investigator Jeremy Taylor and Deputy Houston Cantrell of the Sheriff’s Department were called to the scene by Trooper England to witness the field sobriety tasks.
The arrest warrants on the drug charges state that “Mr Hutchings was in possession of three and a half hydrocodone pills in an unmarked pill bottle and does not have his prescription in possession and that he was in possession of three blue xanax pills in an unmarked pill bottle and did not have his prescription in possession.”
Meanwhile on Thursday February 2, Trooper England stopped 66 year old Willie J. Thomas on Highway 56 near Jewel’s Market for no seatbelt. Thomas was charged with driving under the influence and possession of a schedule IV drug. His bond is $3,000 and he will be in court on April 19.
According to the arrest warrant, “Upon contact with the driver, Mr. Thomas admitted that he had taken a 10 milligram diazepam earlier in the day. Mr. Thomas failed all field sobriety tasks and was placed under arrest for DUI. The city police department witnessed the test. Officer (James) Cornelius.”
The arrest warrant on the drug charge states that “On February 2, Thomas was in possession of one yellow pill identified as a five milligram diazepam. He did not have it in a proper prescription bottle. It was mixed with other pills.”
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