WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice has transferred to the state of Tennessee approximately 1,000 acres of undeveloped land in Cannon County, Tenn., as a result of a federal criminal conviction of two individuals for distribution of marijuana.
The transfer was announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge Harry S. Sommers of the Atlanta Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Marshal Denny W. King for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The land, located on Short Mountain in Woodbury, Tenn., will be managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and will be known as the Headwaters Wildlife Management Area. Short Mountain is a critical habitat for plant and animal species, and contains the headwaters for three Tennessee watersheds. The property will be open to the public for small game hunting, hiking and wildlife viewing.
The land was forfeited to the United States as part of the 2007 federal criminal convictions of Morris Roller and Jeffory Carl Young for distribution of marijuana. Roller and Young are currently serving federal sentences of 200 and 224 months, respectively. The transfer was made under a law that allows the Justice Department to convey forfeited property to states for public use for recreation or conservation purposes upon request by the governor or chief executive officer of the state.
The Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division coordinated the transfer. The federal criminal investigation was assisted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; Tennessee Alcohol Control Board; Warren County, Tenn., Sheriff’s Department; Hamilton County, Tenn., Sheriff’s Department; and Chattanooga, Tenn., Police Department.
“This land transfer highlights the benefits of asset forfeiture as a crime-fighting tool,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “Our law enforcement efforts put an end to illegal drug production on this land and secured its preservation for years to come.”
“The transfer of this property was accomplished through the cooperative efforts of local, state and federal government agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Killian. “This historic conveyance of forfeited property, which is the largest transfer for conservation purposes in the past 15 years by the federal government to a governmental entity, will leave a lasting legacy of this wildlife management area for the state of Tennessee and its citizens. Now, rather than being used for growing marijuana or violating other laws, it will be used for recreational activities such as hiking, fishing and hunting. Russ Dedrick, my predecessor as U.S. Attorney, is to be congratulated for arranging this donation of land.”
A dedication ceremony was held last Wednesday on the land.
The Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Program allows for the transfer of federally forfeited real property to serve various purposes including: supporting state recreational, preservation or historic purposes; supporting a continuing federal purpose; and assisting a state or local government, or a non-profit entity, in carrying out educational, drug treatment, rehabilitation, housing and other community-based initiatives. Through these real property transfers the Asset Forfeiture Program contributes to our communities nationwide.

The Smithville Aldermen Monday night adopted on second and final reading an $8.2 million dollar budget ordinance for the 2012-13 fiscal year which includes a 3% cost of living pay raise for employees, larger pay hikes for the police chief, secretary-treasurer, and airport manager, the creation of one new full-time fire department administrator position, a part-time court officer position for the police department to relieve overtime, and funding for a new fire department ladder truck. A new eight step wage scale will also be established for employees in the police department, while all other city employees will remain under the current four step wage scale.
The budget calls for no increase in the city property tax rate (.6490 cents per one hundred dollars of assessed value) and no increases in water or sewer rates.
The budget ordinance passed on a 4 to 1 vote. Alderman Cecil Burger, who had voted “yes” on the first reading of the budget on June 4, voted “no” on the second reading Monday night saying this is “too much budget for Smithville”. Alderman Steve White, who had voted “no” on the budget two weeks ago saying he needed more time to study it, voted “yes” on the second reading Monday night.
No one spoke out either for or against passage of the budget during the public hearing, held prior to the vote.
As he did two weeks before, Mayor Taft Hendrixson warned that the city could be forced to dip deep into it’s general fund surplus for recurring expenses, if it does not hold the line on spending during the year. According to the budget, an appropriation of $975,233 from the surplus will be needed to support the general fund, just to balance the budget without a property tax increase. “In this budget, if we spend it all we’re going to be taking $312,000 out of our savings account (surplus), not counting the fire truck and not counting the $150,000 going into the airport (grant match for an airport runway and apron overlay (paving) project). Those two (combined) are $656,000 coming out of reserve. But if we spend all this budget there’s another $312,000 that will come out of our reserve. In other words, we won’t be taking in enough money to spend what we propose spending. I’ll try my best, if I’m still here, not to spend all that, but there is a possibility it could be (spent),” said Mayor Hendrixson
During the June 4th meeting, Alderman Shawn Jacobs said he felt comfortable going ahead and approving this spending plan, since budgets in the past have projected red ink and actually ended up in the black, due to sound financial management practices during the fiscal year.
If the city discovers later in the year that changes need to be made in the budget, Alderman Gayla Hendrix said during the June 4th meeting that amendments can be adopted. “We can make amendments to the budget after its passed. If we get six months down the road and realize we have made a huge error we can come back and make amendments,” she said.
The city’s financial advisor, Janice Plemmons-Jackson, said Monday night that she had made some minor revisions in the budget, including revising downward projected increases in health insurance costs from seven percent to five percent. She said the actual increase may only be from 2.5 to 3%.
Alderman Steve White asked why the new budget showed no funds for school patrol. Mayor Hendrixson said the city is committed to spending $3,000 and that funds will be allocated from another line item. Under an agreement, the city, county and school board are to cost share to provide manned traffic control in the busy school zones at Northside Elementary School and DeKalb Middle School.
Alderman White also asked that the budget document reflect that any new employment during the budget year will have rates, approved by the board, established by the “Commissioner” of the department affected along with the Mayor and Secretary/Treasurer and not JUST the Mayor and Secretary/Treasurer.
Under the budget, a new fire administrator position will be created. The salary is to be set at $35,000 plus benefits. No other full time fire department positions have been included in this budget, but others may be considered if a grant is obtained to fund them.
The budget also increases the salaries of three other department heads or managers as follows:
Secretary-Treasurer: regular pay to be increased from $49,896 to $56,000 per year
Police Chief: regular pay to be increased from $48,204 to $55,000 per year
Airport Manager: regular pay to be increased from $29,818 to $35,000 per year
Each of these four positions, fire administrator, secretary-treasurer, police chief, and airport manager, like all other city employees are budgeted to receive a one percent bonus at Christmas time, and they receive a health insurance benefit equating to $7,905; along with an $85 life insurance and $276 dental insurance benefit, paid by the city.
All other city employees are to receive any step pay raises due them, plus a 3% cost of living increase, under this budget.
Step increases will be given on the hire anniversary date, rather than July 1 of each year, beginning with this budget.
New employees will receive the full amount of the starting pay for their positions when put to work, instead of their pay being increased after a sixty day probationary period.
A part-time court officer to work twenty hours is to be added to the police department, with overtime reduced for the other officers by approximately 52 hours per officer.
The proposed budget, totaling $8-million 297-thousand 195, calls for no increases in water or sewer rates or the property tax rate, of .6490 cents per one hundred dollars of assessed value. But in order to balance the budget, the city is appropriating to the general fund $975,233 from the surplus. The city property tax rate generates approximately $790,000 a year.
Water customers will continue to pay $5.00 for the first one thousand gallons of water usage plus $5.00 for each additional one thousand gallons of usage. Outside city rates are $7.50 for the first one thousand gallons of water usage plus $7.50 for each additional one thousand gallons of usage.
The rate for city sewer customers, under the new budget, will continue to be $5.00 for the first one thousand gallons of usage plus $5.00 per thousand gallons thereafter. In addition, all sewer customers will continue to pay the $3.62 cent per month flat rate usage fee.
The rate the city charges the DeKalb Utility District for water is $2.00 per thousand gallons but will increase to $2.05 per thousand gallons beginning with January 1, 2013 sales.
Proposed capital outlay expenditures in the general fund for the new year come to $2,382,667.
Specific projects are as follows:
Financial Administration:
$25,000 unspecified
Parks and Recreation:
$10,000 unspecified
$5,000 for a fence
Public Works/Buildings and Grounds:
$15,000 for a trailer
City Hall Building:
$25,000 unspecified
Fire Protection:
$10,000 unspecified
$496,000 for ladder truck payments
Street Department:
$20,000 for a chipper truck
$20,000 for a vehicle
$15,000 for traffic lights
Police Department:
$25,000 for a police car
$25,000 unspecified
Swimming Pool:
$15,000 unspecified
Golf Course:
$5,000 unspecified
Airport:
$1,666,667 for the runway and apron overlay (90% of that funded by grants with a 10% local match by the city)
Animal Shelter:
$5,000 unspecified
Sanitation Fund:
$5,000
Proposed water and sewer fund Fixed Asset Additions: Automatic meter readers project- $410,000; Capital improvements-paint water tank- $80,000; Sewer plant improvement study & engineering fees- $18,000; Sewer plant updates- $250,000; Sewer rehabilitation camera- $125,000
Although these capital outlay projects are budgeted, they all may not be funded during the year.
The proposed budget breaks down as follows:
REVENUES:
General Fund: $4,424,570
Special Revenue Fund-Sanitation: $283,000
Water & Sewer Fund: $2,378,000
Drug Fund: $7,050
Appropriation of Surplus- General Fund: $975,233
Appropriation of Surplus-Drug Fund: $11,750
Appropriation of Surplus-Water & Sewer Fund: $217,592
Total Revenues: $8,297, 195
EXPENDITURES:
General Fund: $5,399,803
Special Revenue Funds Sanitation: $282,927
Water & Sewer Fund: $2,595,592
Drug Fund: $18,800
Total expenditures: $8,297,195
Meanwhile, in other business, the board voted to hire Gail Winne, Jr. as a full time employee in the sanitation department, since he has completed his 60 day probationary period. His pay will increase from $10.66 to $11.36 per hour.

The City of Smithville has established a new eight step wage scale for all hourly employees in the police department, effective with the 2012-13 fiscal year beginning July 1st
All other hourly city employees will remain under the four step scale, meaning those with up to four years of service will get their automatic step pay increases as defined in the wage scale plus a 3% cost of living increase in the new budget, as approved by the aldermen. City employees with more than four years of service, who have topped out on the wage scale will only get the cost of living increase.
Police Chief Randy Caplinger proposed the new eight step wage scale for his department after comparing what Smithville pays its officers with law enforcement agencies in other towns. Smithville has lost officers in recent years to departments in other cities for better pay, and Chief Caplinger said he was concerned that his department could lose more personnel, unless the city keeps wages competitive.
Under the new wage scale, Smithville police officers would top out after eight steps, rather than the four steps in the city’s current wage scale. Chief Caplinger said he came up with a plan for his department, after surveying other towns, averaging the starting and top out pay for each position in their police departments and using that as a model ” It doesn’t make us the highest paid but it doesn’t make us the lowest, we’re just in the middle of our surrounding area. It puts us comparable with our competition around and gives an incentive for the officers to stay,” he said.
The city budget will not be drastically impacted, according to Caplinger because the raises are spread out over eight years instead of four. “It really didn’t hurt the budget of the city because the raises were basically the same, it just extended it out further but gave a higher top out, which is an incentive to keep employees. Nobody is getting a big raise. In fact, a couple of officers may be getting a little less raise (under the new plan) than they would otherwise have received July 1 (under the current wage scale),” said Chief Caplinger
The proposed new eight step wage chart for the police department (including a 3% cost of living increase) this year is as follows (hourly rate) and (Annual Pay-No Overtime)
Officers:
$13.88 (Step1)- $28,879
$14.98 (Step2)- $31,150
$16.07 (Step3)- $33,421
$17.16 (Step4)- $35,692
$18.27 (Step5)- $38,006
$19.36 (Step6)- $40,277
$20.46 (Step7)- $42,548
$21.63 (Step8)- $44,990
Sergeants-Detectives:
$15.30 (Step1)- $31,814
$16.71 (Step2)- $34,749
$18.12 (Step3)- $37,684
$19.53 (Step4)- $40,619
$20.94 (Step5)- $43,554
$22.35 (Step6)- $46,490
$23.76 (Step7)- $49,425
$25.17 (Step8)- $52,360
Lieutenant:
$16.10 (Step1)-$33,485
$17.62 (Step2)-$36,656
$19.15(Step3)- $39,827
$20.67 (Step4)-$42,997
$22.20 (Step5)-$46,168
$23.72(Step6)-$49,339
$25.25 (Step7)-$52,510
$26.77(Step 8)-$55,680
Captain:
$20.41 (Step1)-$42,462
$21.83 (Step2)- $45,397
$23.24 (Step3)- $48,332
$24.65(Step4)- $51,267
$26.06 (Step5)- $54,202
$27.47 (Step6)- $57,137
$28.88 (Step7)- $60,072
$30.29(Step8)- $63,007
Since the Captain’s pay, under this wage scale, tops out higher than what the police chief currently earns, city officials have said the captain’s job may be changed from an hourly to a salaried position to keep his salary below the chief’s pay.

Smithville Police have charged two people in a meth lab investigation.
Chief Randy Caplinger told WJLE Monday that 20 year old Matthew A. Murphy is charged with manufacturing methamphetamine and 20 year old Holly Cikalo faces a promotion of methamphetamine charge. They will be in court on July 19. Bond for Murphy is $25,000 and $15,000 for Cikalo
According to Chief Caplinger, police were called to a residence on Woodlawn Street last Thursday, June 14 where Murphy had reportedly hidden components used to make methamphetamine in the back yard. Officers searched the premises and found muratic acid, drain cleaner, lighter fluid, ice compress, lithium batteries, and claritin D. Upon questioning Murphy admitted to the officers that these items belonged to him and that he intended to use them to make methamphetamine.
Cikalo, who was also at the residence with a young child, allegedly admitted to buying the lighter fluid and cold packs knowing that Murphy was planning to make meth with these items. The Department of Children Services was notified and the child was removed from the home.
24 year old Amanda Brooke Washer is charged with theft of property over $1,000 and aggravated burglary. Her bond is $10,000 and she will be in court on July 19. Chief Caplinger said that on Saturday, June 9, Washer allegedly broke into the residence of Eulain Poley Shelton on Gentry Avenue and took several items from the house including pieces of jewelry, cash, and other items, all valued at over $1,000.
35 year old Dana Taylor is cited for possession of drug paraphernalia. She will be in court on June 28. Chief Caplinger said she was stopped for a possible traffic violation and gave police consent to search her vehicle. Taylor told the officer that she had used hypodermic needles in her pocket book. The needles were recovered along with a cut straw. Taylor allegedly admitted to injecting Dilaudid earlier in the day.
18 year old Garrett M. Johnson is cited for following too closely, violation of the open container law, a window tint violation, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and simple possession. He will be in court on July 19. Chief Caplinger said police observed Johnson traveling on North Congress Boulevard following very closely to a vehicle in front of him. He was stopped. The officer noticed that the window tint was very dark. Inside the vehicle were Johnson, the driver, and three minors. A beer can had spilled on the floor and there were 12 unopened beer cans in the vehicle along with a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana.
18 year old Cheyenne Daniels is charged with domestic assault. Her bond is $2,500 and she will be in court on June 21. Chief Caplinger said that an officer responded to a residence on South College Street in reference to an assault. Upon arrival, he spoke with Daniels, who said she had come to her aunt’s house to confront her. They began arguing. Daniels allegedly pushed her aunt when she got up out of a chair and as the aunt raised her arm, Daniels said she lost her cool and physically assaulted the woman, punching her. Officers determined Daniels was the primary aggressor and placed her under arrest.
40 year old Richard Turner is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $1,000 and he will be in court on June 21. Chief Caplinger said an officer responded to a residence on Andrew Street to a possible break-in. Upon arrival, he found a man on the porch. Upon speaking with him, the man was found to be Turner. Officers noticed a strong odor of alcohol on his person. Turner said he had relatives who lived there and he was bringing them food and beer. Turner was very unsteady on his feet. No one was home at the residence. He said he had consumed 40 ounces of beer. Officers found on the porch in a brown paper bag, an empty 40 ounce beer and three- 40 ounce full beers. Due to his safety, he was placed under arrest for public intoxication.
36 year old Lynda Neville is charged with public intoxication and she was issued a citation for possession of a schedule III controlled substance. Her bond is $1,000 and she will be in court on June 21. According to Chief Caplinger, police responded to Foutch Industries on Sparta Highway to a report of an intoxicated female. Upon arrival, an officer spoke with Neville and noticed that her speech was very slurred and she was very unsteady on her feet. When asked if she had consumed any intoxicating beverages, Neville replied no saying she had taken nothing. Neville was asked to remove everything from her pockets and from her front right pocket was a cellophane wrapper containing three pills believed to be hydrocodone. For her safety and due to her being under the influence at work, she was placed under arrest for public intoxication.
32 year old Rebecca Andrews is charged with a fourth offense of driving under the influence. Her court date is June 21 and she is under a $3,000 bond. Chief Caplinger said that on Sunday, June 10 an officer was dispatched to a possible drunk driver traveling north on South Congress Boulevard. The vehicle turned west on Broad Street, then onto Juniper Lane, Bell Street, and Atnip Street. The officer subsequently stopped the vehicle and found that the driver was Andrews. He noticed that her speech was slurred, that she had red watery eyes, and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person. She submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. Andrews also submitted to a blood alcohol test. She has three prior DUI convictions on her record.
21 year old Eduardo Petriz is charged with a first offense of driving under the influence and evading arrest. His bond totals $4,000 and he will be in court on June 28. Chief Caplinger said that Petriz was traveling west on East Broad Street, weaving on the roadway. The officer got behind the vehicle, activating his blue lights and siren. The vehicle stopped at a traffic light, which was green, and then proceeded through the light, turning onto Short Mountain Highway. At one point, Petriz attempted to pass another patrol car in front of him. Petriz traveled about three blocks and then pulled into a driveway. He was placed under arrest. Meanwhile, a passenger of the vehicle, 22 year old Jose Lopez is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $1,000 and he will be in court on June 28. Chief Caplinger said Lopez had a very strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was very unsteady on his feet. He also had trouble speaking. He was placed under arrest due to his intoxication level and for his own safety.
27 year old Amanda Maxwell is cited for shoplifting. She will be in court on June 21. According to Chief Caplinger, an employee of Walmart stated that he observed Maxwell concealing items in her purse. She left the store without paying for those items. She was asked to stop, but refused. Police pulled up to her SUV and Maxwell appeared to be hiding the items inside the vehicle. The owner of the SUV gave police consent to search and the officer found the stolen goods behind the backseat.

42 year old Morris Edward Knowles of Kings Court Lane, Smithville is charged with evading arrest and carrying a prohibited weapon. He was also issued a citation for driving on a suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond is $6,500 and he will be in court June 28.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that Tuesday, June 12 a deputy spotted Knowles driving a red SUV on Highway 70 west. The officer, who had prior knowledge that Knowles had no drivers license, turned on his blue lights but Knowles refused to pull over. The deputy initiated a pursuit for about four miles before Knowles finally stopped. A computer check confirmed Knowles’ license was suspended on May 14. Knowles also had a syringe in a small box on the front seat of the vehicle. When Knowles got out of his vehicle, he had a knife with a five inch blade on his side. Knowles told the officer that he carried the knife for his protection.
24 year old Amanda Brooke Washer of Ike Adcock Road is cited for violation of the seatbelt law, simple possession of marijuana, and simple possession of drug paraphernalia. She will be in court June 28. Sheriff Ray said that on Wednesday, June 13, a sheriff’s department drug detective spotted Washer traveling north through the intersection at Highway 56 & 70. She crossed over into the detective’s lane of travel, almost hitting his patrol car, and then turned in front of another vehicle. After she was pulled over, Washer gave consent for a search of her person, and a needle was found inside her bra along with a baggie of marijuana and two non-narcotic pills.
32 year old Jose Juan Velazquez of Bright Hill Road is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court on June 21. Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, June 15, Velazquez allegedly assaulted his wife by hitting her with his fists about the head and body, causing her to have to be transported by ambulance to the hospital for emergency treatment. Valazquez had already fled with scene with his three year old child by the time officers arrived to investigate. The child was found safely with another family member the next morning. Valazquez was also located and arrested on Saturday.

A Smithville man was arrested on Friday, June 8 in connection with a case of indecent exposure which occurred in the Cookeville Walmart store parking lot on Monday, June 4.
The Herald-Citizen reports that 25 year old Kenneth R. Johnson Jr. of Kendra Drive is charged with indecent exposure, according to a warrant taken by Cookeville Police Detective Sgt. Bobby Anderson.
That warrant says that on June 4 in the Cookeville Walmart parking lot Johnson “did indecently expose himself by exposing his genitals to a female while he was sitting in his vehicle.”
It was a Livingston woman who reported the incident to police on that day. She said that she and her elderly mother had exited the store and were walking to their car when a white colored pickup truck approached them.
She thought the driver was about to ask directions, but when she turned toward him, he smiled and exposed his private parts to her, says a report by Officer James Lee III.
“She was deeply disturbed and she looked for Walmart personnel to notify,” the report says.
After the incident, the driver drove away and left the parking lot.
Detective Anderson began an investigation and soon was able to identify Johnson as a suspect.
Last Friday, June 8, Johnson was arrested and booked into the Putnam jail, where his bond was set at $1,000. He posted bond and was released. He has a July 9 court date.

Voters will find it even more convenient to vote early for the upcoming August DeKalb County General and State Primary elections.
The DeKalb County Election Commission voted recently to modify the early voting hours to give voters another afternoon voting period.
The early voting hours for the August election will be as follows:
Mondays from NOON until 5:00 p.m.; Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.; Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.; Thursdays from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.; Fridays from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.; and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. until NOON.
“Usually, the afternoon numbers are among the largest of the early voting period,” said Dennis Stanley, Administrator of Elections. “And based on that history, the commission wanted to give another afternoon voting period to make it easier for those who like voting early or cannot make it to the polls on election day.”.
Early voting for the August election begins July 13 and will run through July 28
Local voters will be electing a new Assessor of Property in August. The candidates are Scott Cantrell and Mason Carter. Two school board seats will be filled along with five constable seats.
In the state primary, local voters will help select the party nominees for State Representative in the 40th district, the 46th district, Congressman in the 6th District and one U.S. Senator.

Governor Bill Haslam recently signed into law legislation sponsored by Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) which aims to reduce the growing problem of metal theft in Tennessee. The legislation, which passed in the final days of the 2012 session, puts stiffer penalties into place on both the selling and the purchasing ends of transactions involving stolen metals. It also gives the Department of Commerce and Insurance more enforcement authority over its scrap dealer registration program.
“Soaring prices for copper, aluminum and other metals make items containing them an attractive target,” said Tracy. “Stolen metals can have great value when sold to a scrap metal dealer who arranges for the metal to be melted and reshaped for other uses. With the rising incidence of metal theft in Tennessee, this new law provides an extra measure of security for families and businesses that have been victims of metal theft.”
Tracy said metal thieves have hit homes, businesses, churches, construction sites, and public property in Tennessee, like utilities. Criminal recycling has received much publicity in recent years worldwide as thefts rise and thieves grow bolder. Metal theft in the U.S. has become so lucrative that often thieves even risk their lives to strip copper wire and pipes from homes, utilities and electrical facilities.
“The scrap recycling industry in Tennessee is working to be a part of the solution to material theft,” added Senator Tracy. “This partnership is very important to really attack the problem. In the last two years, 18 state legislatures have passed bills to crack down on metal theft and any unscrupulous dealers that might aid them.”
The new Tennessee law prohibits a person from selling scrap metal that he or she knows to be stolen. It prescribes that the knowing sale of stolen scrap metal shall be punished as theft and graded according to the value of the metal. The legislation creates a Class E “fine only” felony, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, for selling or attempting to sell metal to a scrap metal dealer if the aggregate value of the metal in its original condition and the costs incurred in repairing and recovering any property damaged in the theft exceeds $500.
Similarly, the law makes it a Class A misdemeanor for a dealer to knowingly or intentionally violate the law, unless the metal is in its original and undamaged condition. If the value of the metal, in addition to any costs for repairs exceeds $500, it is a Class E “fine only” felony.
In addition, the new law makes it a misdemeanor offense for someone to engage in the business of buying scrap metal without being registered unless the metal is in its original and undamaged condition. Unregistered dealers convicted of violating this provision face a Class A misdemeanor under the statute.
Finally, the bill authorizes the Department of Commerce to investigate a verified, written complaint against any scrap metal dealer alleged to have committed a violation when evidence is presented. The Department must provide notice regarding any hearings and sanctions involving scrap metal dealers.
The law becomes effective on July 1.