Two men charged with theft of property from a local industry twenty one months ago were each sentenced by Judge David Patterson in DeKalb County Criminal Court Friday.
36 year old Melvin Leon Cripps, Jr. and 41 year old Tracy Lynn Haynes each received a four year sentence, suspended to supervised probation after pleading guilty to one count of theft over $1,000. The two men are to pay restitution of $50,000 jointly and severally and they will be on unsupervised probation once all conditions of the plea agreement are met. Haynes’ sentence is to run concurrently with his probation in a General Sessions Court case.
Cripps and Haynes were arrested on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 by then Detective Jerry Hutchins of the Smithville Police Department. Police said around January 9th, 2010 several pieces of welding equipment and power supplies were stolen from Tenneco’s (Walker’s) warehouse at 415 Miller Road. On January 11th, maintenance manager, Johnny Pridmore reported to Officer Matt Farmer that he was informed that some of Tenneco’s equipment may be at Ivy Bluff Salvage. Pridmore went to Ivy Bluff Salvage and found equipment belonging to Tenneco. Pridmore returned to the warehouse on January 11th to find a truck with a bumper trailer attached. On the trailer were two items belonging to Tenneco. He approached the men in the truck and requested their names and asked what they were doing. The driver stated his name was Melvin Cripps. While Mr. Pridmore called the police, the two men unloaded the two items off the trailer and left. After further investigation, Detective Hutchins arrested Cripps and Haynes.
Meanwhile, a former store employee of Potters Home Center, charged with forgery and felony theft over $1,000, has been granted judicial diversion probation for two years, supervised by TDOC. He entered into the plea agreement by information.
In August, 32 year old Jason Brian Jones was charged in a scheme to allegedly steal money from Potters Home Center by taking advantage of the store’s policy on returning merchandise.
Under the terms of his probation, Jones must make restitution of $8,100 to Potter’s Home Center and complete a drug rehabilitation program at New Life Ministries in Arkansas. New Life Ministries will make a monthly report to CPS probation.
According to Smithville Police Chief Randy Caplinger, on several occasions from June 7th through July 30th, Jones allegedly forged the names of people on return slips, then made out a check from the store for the returns to the names on those slips. He then allegedly forged their names on the backs of those checks, cashed them in-store, and kept the money. The total amount of money taken in the scheme amounts to several thousands of dollars. All of the return slips were bogus, meaning that no merchandise from anyone named on the slips was actually brought to the store for a return.
During the investigation, Police questioned Jones who allegedly confessed to the crimes. He is also no longer an employee of the store.
In other cases, 25 year old Charlie Chad Barnes pleaded guilty to initiation of a process intent to result in the manufacture of methamphetamine. He received an eight year sentence to serve at 30%. He was also fined $2,000. Barnes was given jail credit of 33 days.
23 year old Terry Ray Barnes pleaded guilty to attempted initiation of a process to manufacture methamphetamine. He received a four year sentence to serve at least 30% before his release eligibility date. He was also fined $2,000. The sentence is to run concurrently with a Van Buren County sentence he is currently serving. Barnes was given jail credit of 264 days.
Sheriff Patrick Ray told WJLE that on Sunday, January 16th, a deputy went to Big Hurricane Road to investigate a possible meth lab. The officer spoke with Chad Barnes who answered the door. The deputy told him why he was there. Barnes gave consent to search. Terry Barnes was also there. Found in the room were components used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, including a two liter bottle containing a clear liquid with lithium strips boiling, batteries, cut up batteries, lye, draino, cold packs, eight foot long plastic tubing, and other items consistent with the manufacture of methamphetamine. The officer reported that when he approached the front of the residence, he noticed a chemical smell coming from inside the home.
29 year old William Travis Malone pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance and received a four year sentence, suspended to 65 days of time served. The remainder of the sentence is to be served on community corrections. He was fined $2,000 and must make $50 restitution to the Smithville Police Department. He was given jail credit of 65 days.
Malone was charged in a sealed indictment as the result of an undercover drug investigation by the Smithville Police Department. According to Detective Matt Holmes, a confidential source purchased two dilaudid pills from Malone on February 23 at a location within one thousand feet of Smithville Elementary School.
29 year old Matthew Baker pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended license. He received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days on probation in each case to run concurrently with each other and with any current probation.
20 year old Ray D. Underwood pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and was released to time served. He was given jail credit of 207 days.
50 year old Danny Ponder pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance and received a four year sentence in the community corrections program. He was fined $2,000 and must make $50 restitution to the Smithville Police Department. Ponder must undergo an alcohol and drug assessment.
Ponder was charged in a sealed indictment as the result of an undercover drug investigation by the Smithville Police Department. According to Detective Matt Holmes, a confidential source purchased two dilaudid pills from Ponder on February 23 at a location within one thousand feet of Smithville Elementary School.
39 year old Janet Mayo pleaded guilty to simple possession of a schedule II and VI controlled substance and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days on supervised probation. The two sentences are to run concurrently. She was fined $1,000.
Mayo was arrested on Sunday, January 9th. She was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Smithville Police Officer James Cornelius on a traffic violation. Mayo was asked to step out of the vehicle and empty her pockets. She had a bag containing drug paraphernalia and what was believed to be marijuana and methamphetamine.
45 year old Rhonda Brewer pleaded guilty to introduction of contraband into the jail. She received a three year sentence, all suspended to supervised probation. She was given jail credit of 104 days. Brewer must also pay a $2,000 fine. The sentence is to run concurrently with her probation in General Sessions Court.
Sheriff Ray reports that on Thursday, May 19 Brewer reported to the jail on a violation of probation. Upon a pat down search, a coffee filter was found in her bra by the correctional officers. When the filter was unfolded, officers found that it contained methamphetamine.
26 year old Melinda Murphy pleaded guilty to two counts of fraudulent use of a credit card and one count of theft under $500.
She received a sentence of one year on state probation in one of the fraud cases, 11 months and 29 days in the other on probation , and 11 months and 29 days in the theft case on probation. All the terms are to run concurrently with each other but consecutive to a sentence in General Sessions Court. She must make restitution of $985 and make a $200 contribution to the economic crime fund.
20 year old Alexandria June Rowell, charged with child neglect, was granted judicial diversion probation for two years. She is to complete accredited parenting classes.
20 year old David Graham, charged with child neglect, was granted judicial diversion probation for two years. He is to complete accredited parenting classes.
33 year old Jerry H. Goff pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule VI controlled substance and received a two year sentence on state probation. Goff was fined $2,000 and he must undergo an alcohol and drug assessment and follow all recommendations
30 year old Nena Chapman, charged with theft over $10,000, was granted judicial diversion probation for three years. She must make restitution of $3,758 jointly and severally with another defendant, 30 year old Joseph Daniel Richardson.
Sheriff Ray told WJLE 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. Chapman allegedly took some of the jewelry and sold it at a local business.
In May, Richardson 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.
19 year old Clay Andrew Bain pleaded guilty to simple possession of a schedule VI controlled substance, evading arrest, and unlawful possession of a weapon. He received a sentence of eleven months and 29 days in the drug and evading cases and 30 days on the weapons charge. The terms are to run concurrently. He will be on supervised probation. Bain must also pay a fine of $250
According to Sheriff Ray, in July, 2010 a deputy received a call from central dispatch about an altercation on Midway Road in Smithville. The complainant said that Bain was at a residence on Midway Road and was armed with a gun. An officer spotted Bain’s vehicle at the Midway Community Center. As Bain drove off the deputy activated his blue lights but Bain did not stop. The officer pursued Bain for approximately a ΒΌ of a mile before he pulled into the residence of the complainant. Upon approaching Bain’s automobile, the officer noticed inside the vehicle a club or stick that had duct tape rolled around one end of it. Bain was then taken into custody. When asked if he had anything in his pockets, Bain produced a small bag containing a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana.
42 year old Tobin Lane Hamnett pleaded guilty by information to reckless driving and received a six month suspended sentence on supervised probation. He was fined $1,000.
19 year old Wesley J. Hayes, charged with attempt to initiate the manufacture of methamphetamine, was granted judicial diversion probation for three years. He must perform 50 hours of community service
Hayes, 30 year old Scott B. Carroll, Jr and 20 year old Francisco Bustamonte were accused of engaging in a process to make methamphetamine at a residence at 200 the Loop Circle in the Midway Community on January 23. Carroll and Bustamonte were sentenced last month. Carroll received a 30 year sentence as a career criminal while 20 year old Bustamonte was handed an eleven year term in the local case to run consecutively to a six year sentence in a Cannon County case for the same type of offense.
36 year old James L. Owen, charged with promotion of the manufacture of methamphetamine, was granted judicial diversion for three years. He must perform 50 hours of community service.
25 year old Lois Nicole Cobble Godsey, charged with child abuse and neglect, was granted judicial diversion probation for two years
Sheriff Ray said that Godsey had taken the child to River Park Hospital in McMinnville on Saturday, January 1st for another medical reason when hospital staff apparently noticed bruises on the child’s legs, back, butt, and head. The child also smelled strongly of urine. Warren County authorities and members of the Department of Children Services were called initially. A further investigation by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department revealed that the child had been whipped excessively with a belt and switch.
29 year old Stephanie Ann Fagan pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated child abuse and received a five year sentence, all suspended to TDOC probation with the first four years to be supervised by community corrections. She was also fined $2,000.
In January, Fagan was charged with aggravated child abuse after allegedly allowing her 12 year old daughter to smoke marijuana. According to Smithville Police Detective Matt Holmes, he met Fagan at 829 Gentry Avenue on Wednesday, January 12th while conducting a follow-up investigation on an offense report. She was then transported to the Smithville Police Department for questioning. Fagan allegedly admitted that a few weeks prior she was at her residence with an adult male and that he talked Fagan into allowing the 12 year old daughter to smoke a marijuana cigarette with her.
Fagan was arrested and charged and the child was removed from her custody by the Department of Children’s Services.
25 year old Antonio Wilford pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. He received a four year sentence, all suspended to supervised probation. The sentence is to run concurrently with his probation in General Sessions Court and a Putnam County case.
Sheriff Ray told WJLE that a deputy accompanied a probation officer on a Bell Street home visit to check on a woman and during a search of the bedroom, the officers found a gun in a dresser drawer, which Wilford said belonged to him. The gun, which was actually stolen, had been defaced. The serial number had been scratched off. The incident occurred in October, 2010.
26 year old Sebrena Michelle Wright pleaded guilty by information to simple possession of oxycontin and suboxone and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days in each case, suspended to CPS probation. The two sentences are to run consecutively or back to back. She was fined $750.
50 year old Terry Lee Price pleaded guilty to two counts of sale of a schedule II controlled substance. He received a three year sentence in each case, suspended to supervised probation in the community corrections program. The sentences are to run consecutively for a total of six years. Price must also pay a $2,000 fine. He was given jail credit for 64 days.
40 year old Tina Young pleaded guilty by information to theft over $500 and received a one year sentence on supervised probation. The sentence is to run concurrently with her probation in another criminal court case.
52 year old Kenny Stults pleaded guilty to two counts of theft over $1,000 and received a two year sentence in each case at 30% as a standard range one offender, all suspended to TDOC probation. The two cases are to run concurrently with each other and with a Putnam County case against him. He is to pay restitution to all victims in the cases.
Archived News & Obituaries