The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has had a very busy couple of weeks, making numerous arrests, including a local couple accused of being major drug dealers.

On February 22, members of the Sheriff’s Department and TBI executed a search warrant at the home of 48-year-old Jimmy Wayne Crafton Jr. and Michelle Ann Stevens of Cooper Lane, Smithville. The search resulted in the discovery of 3.999 ounces methamphetamine, over 60 pills of hydrocodone, over 100 pills of gabapentin, and four oxycodone pills.

According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, the Sheriff’s Department had received numerous complaints about the Cooper Lane address, where Crafton and Stevens were both convicted felons for prior drug offenses.

Both Crafton and Stevens are each charged with sale and delivery of a schedule V drug gabapentin, carrying or possession of a weapon by a felon, sale and delivery of a schedule II drug hydrocodone, sale and delivery of a schedule II drug oxycodone, methamphetamine manufacture, deliver, sell or possess, and theft of property under $500. They are each under a $145,000 bond and they are due to appear in court on March 9.

Also found during the raid were two firearms, a Springfield Armory 1911 45 cal. handgun, and a Remington 12-guage semiautomatic shotgun, which was reported stolen out of Rutherford County.  Several hundred rounds of ammunition were also discovered, as well as numerous items of drug paraphernalia, including scales, baggies, pipes, etc.

Two vehicles were also seized at the scene, a 2007 Chevy Tahoe and a 2004 Lexus 330, and a black 16-foot trailer, along with $2,910 in cash.

In other sheriff’s news, a man was found with hidden drugs during an arrest search. Sheriff Ray said that 38-year-old Jay Lee Mullican of Johnson’s Chapel Road, Sparta, was cited on February 13, for simple possession of a schedule III drug.

While making an arrest on Mullican, a deputy discovered a bottle, wrapped in electrical tape, inside a body cavity. The bottle contained 15 orange pills believed to be Suboxone. Mullican is due in court on March 2.

On February 15, 30-year-old Robert Glenn Judkins of Robinson Road, Smithville, and 53-year-old Burnette Bernie Jones of East Broad Street, Smithville, were arrested for assault after a jailhouse fight. Each are under a $4,500 bond and set to appear in court on March 2.

On February 11, Judkins allegedly assaulted an inmate by stomping his head into the concrete floor and striking the inmate in the head area in the Annex Pod of the DeKalb County Jail. Jones allegedly struck the inmate multiple times in the head and upper body area. The inmate was treated at the DeKalb Emergency Room for injuries sustained in the assault.

On February 13, 36-year-old Christopher Peter Mulford of Jacobs Pillar Road, Smithville, was charged for introduction of contraband into a penal institution. He is under a $20,000 bond and he is due to be in court on March 2.

On January 12, 2023, and January 19, 2023, Mulford allegedly sent two letters using false names to a female inmate at the DeKalb County Jail. The paper appeared to have been soaked in a substance, dried, and then written on.

According to Sheriff Ray, there are recorded jail telephone calls regarding the letters between the female inmate and Mulford, and the need of obtaining the letters before being transferred to another facility.

Authorities believe the paper was soaked in Suboxone, which is a schedule III drug. Detectives talked with the inmate who allegedly admitted that it should be Suboxone on the letters, and that they had been sent from Mulford. The paper has been sent to the TBI Crime Lab for testing.

On February 15, 42-year-old Nicholas Brad Corley of Old Leeville Pike, Lebanon, was charged with methamphetamine manufacture, sell, deliver or possess, possession of drug paraphernalia, and tampering with evidence. He is under a $13,500 bond and he will be in court on March 2.

A deputy was dispatched to Vannatta Subdivision in Alexandria for a call of an unwanted guest. Upon arrival the deputy made contact with Corley behind a garage on the property. The man was found to be in possession of a glass pipe with a white residue, and a small baggy with a crystal-like substance believed to be meth weighing 5.14 grams. The deputy noticed a green lighter on the ground where Corley was found and the meth was found in a downspout of the building.

The following day, 38-year-old Brandon Dewayne Tucker of Antioch Road, Smithville, was arrested for driving on a revoked license third offense. He is under a $2,000 bond and he is due to appear in court on March 1.

A deputy observed a white Subaru Forester baring a license plate that was registered to a white Ford F-150. After a traffic stop, Tucker was found to have had a revoked driver’s license for failure to comply with the financial responsibility law from the State of Tennessee. Tucker had been cited by another deputy for the same offense on January 21, 2023, and another deputy on February 12. Due to the recurring offenses, Tucker was placed in custody.

On February 19, 30-year-old Maria Guzman Cabrera of Red Road, McMinnville, was arrested for driving under the influence. She is under a $1,500 bond and she is set for court on March 9.

A deputy was dispatched to a call about a suspicious person knock on the door at a home on Banks Pisgah Road. Before the deputy arrived at the scene, he was advised that the suspect had driven away in a silver Ford Focus.

The deputy later made contact with the Focus, which had one headlight out and was crossing the double yellow line in the roadway multiple times. After stopping the vehicle, the deputy made contact with Cabrera, who allegedly had a strong odor of alcohol coming from her person, was unsteady on her feet, glossy eyes, and who admitted to consuming three beers. Authorities say there were multiple open containers in the vehicle including a half empty of Michelob Ultra in the front seat.

Cabrera submitted to field sobriety tasks, but was unable to complete them. She was also cited for failure to maintain lane of travel, light law, no insurance, and for having no driver’s license.

On February 21, 55-year-old Lisa Taylor Chancey of Sparta Highway, Smithville, was arrested for domestic assault. She is under a $3,500 bond and she is due in court on March 2.

Authorities allege that Chancey assaulted her husband, by scratching him on the right side of his neck area. A deputy responded to Sparta Highway on a report of a domestic assault. The deputy made contact with Chancey and her husband, who had reportedly had a verbal argument when it became physical.

Nicholas Braedan Booher, 24, of Byrdstown and Jessie Danielle Murphy, 23, of Smithville racked up five burglary and five theft of property charges each after taking over a combined total of $10,775 of property from storage building on Nashville Highway. They were arrested on Feb. 24.  His bond was set at a total of $135,000 bond, while hers was set at a total of $90,000. They are both to appear in court March 9.

The case was investigated by Sheriff’s detectives and found that on Jan. 5 and Feb. 17, Booher and Murphy entered multiple storage units and took a storage unit, black safe, a diamond wedding band, four silver bars, gold class ring, two firearms, assorted currency, jewelry, clothes and assorted items. Also he took several tools, 40” smart TV, plates and antique chairs, three Easter baskets with content, a Halloween basket and a master lock, a green air compressor and a master lock.

Raymond Raycelly Marks, 28, of Smithville was arrested on Feb. 22 and charged with driving on revoked and criminal impersonation. His bond was set at $8,500, and he is to appear in court March 2.

A DeKalb County deputy performed a traffic stop on a 2003 Dodge Ram, where Marks was the driver. When asked what his name was, he responded that is was Juan Marks with a date of birth of Feb. 2, 1992. After his license were run, it showed they had been revoked for a DUI. He also admitted that his name was Raymond Marks. He was also written a citation for drug paraphernalia after numerous glass pipes and straws were found. A passenger, Nikki Lee Harris, 33, of Smithville was also arrested for criminal impersonation after she told deputies her name was Gina White. After further investigation she admitted her name was Nikki Harris. She is also to be in court March 2.

Deputies responded to a break-in on Feb. 23, where witnesses saw two men running toward the woods.  The deputy made contact with both men in the woods, but they continued to run even after being given verbal commands. Eric Tramel and Anthony Tramel were apprehended after a short foot chase. Anthony Wayne Tramel, 34, of Liberty and Eric Wayne Tramel, 37, of Smithville were both arrested and charged with resisting, halt, stop, frisk, or search. Each one’s bond was set at $5,000, and they are to appear in court March 9.

Brandon Dewayne Tucker, 38, of Smithville was arrested on Feb. 25 for driving on revoked/suspended license. His bond was set at $3,500, and he is to appear in court March 16.

A deputy, having prior knowledge that Tucker did not have a license, pulled him over after seeing him driving. Tucker had been given previous citations, and arrested for failure to comply with the state’s financial responsibility law.

Buddy Jean Williams, 55, of Smithville was arrested Feb. 26 for filing a false report. On Feb. 25, Williams filed a report of emergency, when knowing it was false and/or baseless. He contacted the sheriff’s office asking for E911 where he reported there was a physical altercation on Academy Street and a male had a gun. Two deputies responded emergency traffic to the address provided, finding the occupants had been asleep and there was nothing occurring at the address provided. After further investigation, multiple calls had been made from the same phone number belonging to a woman’s ex-husband. It is believed the called were made to create a bother of the residents, but they also created a false report and an emergency to the Sheriff’s department.