A 39-year-old local woman has been charged with introduction of drugs into a penal institution after authorities allegedly caught her attempting to smuggle drugs into the jail.
Lisa Lue Summers was also issued four citations relating to the incident.
The sheriff’s department cited her three times for simple possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance and once for simple possession of a Schedule III drug.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, while Summers was visiting an inmate on Dec. 1,  she taped a plastic bag containing five Hydrocodone pills, seven-and-a-half Valium pills and half an Oxycodone pill under a seat in the visitation area at the jail.
Summers reportedly left the jail, and deputies arrested her later that day on the charges.
Ray said that when she was brought back to the jail, unmarked pill bottles containing four oval pills thought to be Hydrocodone, seven round yellow pills believed to be Valium, one-and-a half white bar-shaped pills believed to be Xanax, one-and-a-half blue-and-white oval pills believed to be Phentermine were found in her possession.
Her bond is set at $5,000, and she will be in court on Dec. 13
Meanwhile, 28-year-old Daniel Ray was charged with escape on Thanksgiving Day after being on the lam since Nov. 5.
Sheriff Ray said that Wilson, who was incarcerated for burglary, was transported to the DeKalb County Health Department for a drug court physical.
Wilson had been given a furlough by Judge Bratten Cook II to obtain the physical, and was reportedly in the custody of drug court officer John Quintero when he simply walked away from the health department and escaped custody.
A search of the area was conducted but Wilson could not be found.
He was located and taken back into custody on Nov. 22.
Wilson’s bond has been set at $5,000.
Ross Matthew Peterson, 23, has been arrested charged with theft of property over $1,000.
Ray said Peterson stole and forged 55 checks belonging to a family member and cashed them in September.
The checks allegedly totaled more than $1,800.
The case was investigated by a criminal detective of the sheriff's department.
His bond is set at $10,000 and he will appear in court on Dec. 13.
A 50-year-old Sparta man was charged with theft of property over $10,000 on Nov. 29.
According to the sheriff, William A. Johnson took a 16-foot Tandem trailer carrying a 2011 Polaris Ranger 800 and a 2008 Honda Recon 700 four-wheeler with a total value of $23,800 from parking lot of the Handlebar II Bar and Grill.
The stolen items were recovered by a criminal detective of the sheriff's department.
Johnson’s bond was set at $15,000 and he will appear in court on Dec. 13.
Lisa Michelle Porterfield, 35, of Dowelltown has been charged with aggravated burglary and theft of property over $1,000.
The sheriff said that Porterfield broke into a residence on Campbell Road on Oct. 9, kicking in the front door to gain entry.
She allegedly stole a Honda transmission, a battery, push mower, tire and rim, heaters, a 13-inch television, a microwave, and several other items with a total value of more than $1,000 from the home.
The case was investigated by a criminal detective of the sheriff's department.
Her bond was set at $10,000.
The sheriff’s department charged 39-year-old Jeffery Lynn Sanders with vandalism on Dec. 1.
Ray said that Sanders was released from jail on other charges Nov. 13, but failed to return a blanket assigned to him by the sheriff's department or to pay for the bedding within 14 days.
The value of the blanket was $30.
His bond was set at $2,500 and he will appear in court on Dec. 13.
Ray said the arrest is part of a new policy in which inmates are issued bedding and other items including mats, towels, wash cloths and blankets when they are booked into the jail.
The inmate is to return the items assigned to him upon his release.
If any of the items are damaged beyond normal wear, inmates may be be asked to pay the replacement cost of the damaged items or face charges of vandalism.
“We bought all new mats, blankets, wash cloths, and towels for every inmate up here,” the sheriff said. “We issue it to them and they sign off on a piece of paper. When they make bond, or once their sentence is up, they turn the items in.
“We go through those things,” Ray continued, “and other than average wear, if the items have holes in them, if they have cut up the blankets to make curtains on their beds then we charge them for it. We charge them the price that it cost us. They have 14 days to come in and pay for it. If they do not pay for it in 14 days then we charge them with vandalism and take them to the courthouse and let a judge impose the sentence. We have served quite a few warrants in the last few days for this,” the sheriff concluded.
In other news from the sheriff’s department, 27-year-old Zackery Adam Shinabery of Morrison was charged with a second offense of driving under the influence on Nov. 20.
Ray said a deputy on routine patrol spotted a silver Dodge Magnum on Highway 70 leave its lane of travel several times.
Upon stopping the vehicle driven by Shinabery, the lawman noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on the driver.
Shinabery also allegedly had slurred speech.
He reportedly submitted to a blood test, and performed poorly on field sobriety tasks.
His bond was set at $3,000 and he will appear in court on Jan. 31.