Investigators allegedly found about eight pounds of marijuana, seized roughly $23,000 in cash and three vehicles, and arrested five Knoxville men after traffic stops in Anderson County on Tuesday morning, authorities said.
The five men were arrested after the three vehicles were intercepted on Clinton Highway bringing marijuana into the county, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department said in a Wednesday afternoon press release.
“These arrests are the result of surveillance and investigation into this drug activity, which includes receiving, transporting, and distributing marijuana on several occasions in the Claxton community of Anderson County,” the press release said.
Those charged are Trezell Rashad Groce, 21; Charjuan Jamar Hayes, 22; Charles Anthwane Hayes, 32; Cedric Verdella Isom, 20; and, Orentheo James Winton, 31. Each was charged with criminal conspiracy and manufacturing, delivering, selling, or possessing a controlled substance. Winton was also charged with possession of a firearm in commission of a felony and felon in possession of a handgun, the press release said.
The Sheriff’s Department said all five men are being held in the Anderson County Detention Facility without bond pending arraignment.
The press release said Groce has prior drug arrests in Knox and Washington counties, Charles Hayes has numerous prior arrests for various offenses in Knox County and is on state probation as a convicted felon for a cocaine possession for resale charge, and Winton also has several arrests in Knox County, including drug charges and is a convicted felon for a cocaine possession for resale charge.
“No additional details can be released at this time as this investigation is ongoing,” the release said.
Kay Williamson says
revolving door
patronanejo says
The War on Drugs is essentially an unfunded mandate. If we were to lock up every drug user in this country, there wouldn’t enough gainfully-employed citizens left to support the corrections budget–let alone highways, education, or defense.
Supplemental capacity is a short-term fix that benefits only the construction industry–and capital construction projects suddenly become urgent wherever prisons are privatised (and shareholders’ return increases with the number of detainees).
If we expect our corrections system to work, we have to provide it with firm-, rational-, and transparent priorities:
(1) Violent criminals must be segregated from society until they no longer have the capacity to harm others. As long as we’re sending violent offenders home early, we shouldn’t be detaining anyone else.
(2) Property crimes can only be remediated by restitution and/or punitive damages. Unless you make more money in prison than on the outside, incarceration is counterproductive.
(3) Drugs are no excuse for violent crimes or property offenses. Victimless drug use should be immediately decriminalised.
(4) Make drug treatment free for anyone who wants it. Rehabilitation has been established to be more effective and lass costly than incarceration.