WAYNE COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — At least 20 people are charged in connection to a Middle Tennessee methamphetamine distribution ring.
Wayne County Sheriff Shane Fisher said a routine drug investigation that began in August 2020 resulted in officers finding hundreds of pounds of crystal meth in Wayne, Perry, Lewis and Lawrence counties.
The investigation also crossed state lines into Alabama.
On Monday, a Wayne County grand jury indicted at least 20 people in connection to what investigators have deemed “Operation Clear Out.” Sheriff Fisher said the group is responsible for distributing meth but not manufacturing it.
“These are not users. These people we’ve arrested and charged and indicted are dealers,” Sheriff Fisher said.
Sheriff Fisher said the meth being sold in this operation is not being cooked in Middle Tennessee. Instead, it’s coming from Mexican drug cartels. He said the closer you get to the southern border of the United States, the closer you get to cartels and access to illegal drugs.
“This is not manufactured in Tennessee. It’s not manufactured in Alabama. This stuff that we’re getting, as you see in the pictures, is crystallized methamphetamine, which is a more pure, potent substance than what used to be made in the local labs around the rural areas,” Sheriff Fisher said.
With a large number of local dealers now in jail, Sheriff Fisher hopes to put a small dent in a very large problem in his community.
“It’s not going to stop the methamphetamine problem in Wayne County or the surrounding areas by any means, but it significantly reduces the availability of meth,” Sheriff Fisher said.
Sixteen of the people charged in Operation Clear Out are in jail in Tennessee. Four more are in custody in Alabama. Sheriff Fisher says there are still outstanding warrants that need to be served. He expects more arrests to be made in this ongoing investigation.
The following people have been indicted in Operation Clear Out:
Anna Marie Smith- Conspiracy to Distribute over 300 grams of Methamphetamine- $100,000 bond
Chassidy Sue Smith- Criminal Responsibility for the Sale of Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine- $100,000 bond
Tiffany Marie Hinojosa- Conspiracy to Distribute over 300 grams of Methamphetamine, Criminal Responsibility for Sale of Methamphetamine x4- $225,000 bond
Adam Haggard- Sale of Methamphetamine x2, Conspiracy to sell over 26 grams Methamphetamine- $175,000 bond
Elijah Ferguson– Sale of Methamphetamine x2, Conspiracy to Sell over 26 grams Methamphetamine- $150,000 bond
Helen Sara Hunt– Conspiracy to Sell methamphetamine- $50,000 bond
Brookelynn Bundrant– Sale of Methamphetamine x3, Conspiracy to Sell over 26 grams Methamphetamine- $125,000 bond
Robert Blake Staggs- Sale of Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Sell over 26 grams of Methamphetamine- $100,000 bond
Justin Vaughn- Conspiracy to Sell over 26 grams of methamphetamine- $50,000 bond
Jeramy Gobbell- Sale of Methamphetamine- $25,000 bond
Byron David Skelton- Criminal Responsibility for Sale of Meth x2, Sale of Methamphetamine x 10, Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine over 26 grams- $675,000 bond
Daniel Gage Malone- Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine over 26 grams- $75,000 bond
David Stults- Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine over 300 grams- $100,000 bond
Eddie French– Conspiracy to Sell over 26 grams of methamphetamine
Eric Thomas Cummins- Sale of Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine- $100,000 bond
Mike Williams- Conspiracy to Sell over 300 grams of Methamphetamine, Sale of Meth x2- $200,000 bond (in custody in Alabama)
Gatlytn Jones- Sale of Meth x 2, Conspiracy to Sell Meth- $100,000 bond (in custody in TN)
Jesse James Rumbaugh- Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine over 300 grams- $100,000 bond (in custody in AL)
Alexander Davis- Sale of Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine- $100,000 bond (in custody in TN)
Dylan Brady Burbank- Sale of Methamphetamine x 4, Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine- $150,000 bond (In custody in AL)
