Drug investigations lead to eight arrests, 17 indictments, sheriff says

Eight people have been arrested on drug-related charges in Anderson County, including for prescription narcotics offenses and methamphetamine-related charges, after investigations by the Special Operations Unit of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, authorities said.

More arrests are expected because an Anderson County grand jury indicted a total of 17 people on 30 charges after the investigations, Sheriff Paul White said Tuesday. Authorities are also continuing to investigate related drug activity.

In a press release, White said the Special Operations Unit conducted the drug investigations during the last few months. Those who were indicted for the manufacture, sale, delivery, or possession of illegal drugs either sold them to undercover agents or possessed them for resale, White said.

The indictments also include charges resulting from investigations of investigations of methamphetamine laboratories and the purchase of pseudoephedrine. The charges include the sale or possession for resale of prescription or legend drugs, marijuana, and meth-related offenses.

Of the 17 people indicted, seven were charged with prescription narcotics offenses and six with meth-related charges, including four for pseudoephedrine purchase violations, White said. One person was charged with marijuana offenses. Two were charged with both methamphetamine and prescription narcotics sales, and one was charged with both methamphetamine and marijuana offenses. Four of those indicted were also charged with violating the Drug Free School Zone Act.

Two of the eight arrested as of Aug. 30 were already in federal custody, White said. He said investigators continue to look for the remaining offenders.

“These indictments come after hard work by investigators of the Sheriff’s Special Operations Unit,” White said. “The District Attorney General’s Office also spent many hours assisting investigators by preparing and presenting these cases to the grand jury.”

All those arrested remain in the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton except for Brandy Danielle Braden and Kasey Dawn Miller, who are both in custody on federal drug charges, White said. In addition, all those arrested so far have prior arrest records in Anderson County.

White said no more information would be released now because the investigations continue.

Those arrested and their charges include:

• Brandy Danielle Braden, 31, of Savage Garden Road in Lake City— promotion of methamphetamine;
• Joshua Travis Crowley, 30, 
of Carroll Hollow Road in Clinton—two counts of manufacturing, delivering, selling, or possessing a controlled substance (hydrocodone);
• Kimberly Dawn Hembree, 42, of South Main Street in Clinton—two counts of manufacturing, delivering, selling, or possessing a controlled substance (Roxycodone) and two counts of violating the Drug Free School Zone;
• Michael Wayne Honeycutt, 41, of Rockhouse Lane in Briceville—manufacturing, delivering, selling, or possessing a controlled substance (marijuana, methamphetamine), promotion of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia;
• Karen Leinart, 52, of 
Park Lane in Andersonville—manufacturing, delivering, selling, or possessing a controlled substance (Roxycodone);
• Brenda Maxine Long, 51, of 
Savage Garden Road in Lake City—manufacturing, delivering, selling, or possessing a controlled substance (Roxycodone);
• Glenn Clayton Luckey, 45, of Vivian Avenue in Lake City—initiation of methamphetamine, and violating the Drug Free School Zone; and
• Kasey Dawn Miller, 33, Railroad Avenue in Lake City—two counts of manufacturing, delivering, selling, or possessing a controlled substance (methamphetamine, hydrocodone).