• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds




Charges in alleged robbery at Family Dollar in OS sent to grand jury

Posted at 2:53 pm September 2, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Steven-Scruggs-Preliminary-Hearing-Aug-23-2016

Robbery charges filed against Steven Scruggs, 31, of Oliver Springs, in orange above, were sent to a grand jury during a preliminary hearing in Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 5:05 p.m.

The robbery, attempted robbery, and theft charges filed against an Oliver Springs man after an alleged robbery at Family Dollar in July have been sent to a grand jury.

Steven Scruggs, 31, had a preliminary hearing in Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, August 23. His two co-defendants, also Oliver Springs residents, were in court as well. One pleaded guilty to one charge, and another waived one to a grand jury.

Anderson County General Sessions Court Judge Roger Miller found probable cause to send the robbery, attempted robbery, and theft charges filed against Scruggs to the grand jury after hearing testimony from employee Kimberly Armes, who was working at the store the evening of July 20, when the alleged robbery occurred, and from Oliver Springs Police Department Lieutenant David Laxton, who investigated it. All three charges are felony charges.

A false imprisonment charge that had also been filed against Scruggs was dismissed.

The robbery was reported at about 10:04 p.m. Wednesday, July 20, at the Family Dollar store, which is at 51 Edmonds Drive in Oliver Springs.

When they arrived, Sergeant Kevin Armes and Patrolman Nathaniel Nelson of the Oliver Springs Police Department were told that, after closing and while the cashiers were counting money, a masked man came from the back of the store and ordered two employees to the floor and demanded all the money and cell phones, a July 21 OSPD press release said.

“He came around the corner and then took all the money,” Armes testified in court last week.

After receiving all the cash from the register and safe, the man—who was described as white and wearing dark clothing and a bandana in arrest warrants—reportedly left the store through the back, the release said.

“We stayed down until he left,” Armes said.

OSPD-Laxton-Steven-Scruggs-Preliminary-Hearing-Aug-23-2016

Oliver Springs Police Department Lieutenant David Laxton testified during a preliminary hearing on robbery, attempted robbery, and theft charges for Steven Scruggs of Oliver Springs on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

He only got the cell phone of one employee, Rachael Weir, who is a co-defendant, according to arrest warrants filed in the case. Armes identified Weir as an assistant manager.

After he arrived, Laxton was able to view all the security footage from the store, the press release said. He learned that $1,683 was missing and so was Weir’s cell phone.

“After watching the video and speaking with the two employees, Lieutenant Laxton was able to identify several inconsistencies between employee Rachael Weir’s statement and the video,” the release said. “Ms. Weir was transported to the Oliver Springs Police Department to be interviewed. During the interview, Lieutenant Laxton was able to learn that the male subject involved was Steven Scruggs and his address.”

According to the warrants, Weir told Laxton she had talked to Scruggs about robbing the store, how to do it, and the times that the money would be out for deposit at the end of her shift.

“Rachael Weir stated she did leave the rear fire door unlocked and alarm off for Steven Scruggs to enter and rob the Family Dollar,” Laxton wrote in the warrants.

Weir said Scruggs had attempted the robbery the previous Monday, July 18, but was not successful because the front door was locked.

For helping in the robbery, Scruggs was going to pay Weir’s rent so that it was current, or about $381, according to the warrants.

Kimberly-Armes-Steven-Scruggs-Preliminary-Hearing-Aug-23-2016

Family Dollar employee Kimberly Armes testified during a preliminary hearing on robbery, attempted robbery, and theft charges for Steven Scruggs of Oliver Springs on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Laxton said he learned that Scruggs was at his girlfriend’s second-floor apartment on Midway Drive. Laxton, Armes, and Nelson—along with members of the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, and Oak Ridge Police Department—went to the home, where they found Scruggs and Patricia Rhea, 35, the press release said.

“During a search of the residence, officers located the mask used during the robbery and money taken,” the release said.

Scruggs was charged with robbery, theft over $1,000, and false imprisonment. Rhea and Weir, 30, were charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and criminal facilitation of a felony, the release said.

Rhea gave a statement that she knew about Scruggs conspiring with Weir to rob the Family Dollar and that he had even tried it on the previous Monday, the warrants said.

Laxton said Rhea gave officers permission to search her apartment. He said they located the bandana matching the one worn by the suspect in the video—it was on the porch—and a package of money wrapped in duct tape containing $1,385 behind a filter on the central air-conditioning unit.

“Two sets of money was banded by Regions Bank and then four sets of $5 bills were banded by paper clips in $100 sets, being the normal practice by Family Dollar,” Laxton said.

Advertisement

Officers found a roll of duct tape in the master bedroom, the warrants said.

“When Patricia Rhea was asked about it, she stated Steven Scruggs had to have gotten the duct tape off the front porch and wrapped up the money and dropped the tape in the bedroom,” Laxton said in the warrants.

“During the investigation, it was learned that Mr. Scruggs also attempted the robbery on Monday, July 18,” the OSPD press release said. “After viewing the video from that day, Lieutenant Laxton was able to locate and view the attempt, and Mr. Scruggs was charged with attempted robbery.”

In a video cited by Laxton, a man identified as Steven Scruggs was seen approaching the front door of the store, walking on, then coming back with a mask on and attempting to enter the Family Dollar, the warrants said. But the door was locked, so the man took off the mask and fled, the warrants said.

Authorities described the evidence as strong circumstantial evidence, with clothing and money found close to the defendant.

“I don’t think it takes too much to put 2+2 together,” Miller said, before announcing that he had found probable cause to send the robbery, attempted robbery, and theft of between $1,000 and $9,999 to the grand jury.

Rachael Weir

Rachael Weir

 

But public defender Nancy Meyer said there is no evidence that the home where the money was found is Scruggs’ residence.

“There’s nothing to connect Mr. Scruggs to this case,” Meyer said.

She said there was also no evidence that the alleged attempted robbery on July 18 was an attempted robbery, as opposed to an attempted burglary.

Meyer raised several questions about the case, including that Armes and Laxton offered different descriptions for the bandana and clothing worn by the robbery suspect. Armes said he was wearing a green long-sleeve shirt and black cargo pants. There were no designs on the bandana, she said.

But Laxton said the bandana was blue with white dots on it—like a normal bandana, he said—and the suspect was wearing a dark-colored long-sleeve shirt and real stiff blue jeans.

Patricia Rhea

Patricia Rhea

 

Rhea pleaded guilty to being an attempted accessory after the fact. That charge was reduced from criminal responsibility for facilitation of a felony as part of her plea.

She was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days on supervised probation, with a credit of 33 days. Rhea also must undergo an alcohol and drug assessment, follow recommendations, and avoid contact with Family Dollar, her co-defendants, witnesses, and other property.

In consideration of her plea, the Anderson County District Attorney General’s Office will not prosecute Rhea for criminal conspiracy.

Weir waived a criminal conspiracy charge to the grand jury. The state will not prosecute her for criminal responsibility for facilitation of a felony.

More information will be added as it becomes available.


Do you appreciate this story or our work in general? If so, please consider subscribing to Oak Ridge Today. See our Subscribe page here. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, Police and Fire Tagged With: Anderson County District Attorney General’s Office, Anderson County General Sessions Court, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, arrest warrants, attempted accessory after the fact, attempted robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, criminal conspiracy, criminal facilitation of a felony, criminal responsibility for facilitation of a felony, David Laxton, Family Dollar, grand jury, Kevin Armes, Kimberly Armes, Nancy Meyer, Nathaniel Nelson, Oak Ridge Police Department, Oliver Springs Police Department, OSPD, Patricia Rhea, Rachael Weir, robbery, Roger Miller, Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, Steven Scruggs, theft

Advertisements

Join the club!

If you appreciate our work, please consider subscribing. Besides helping us, your subscription will give you access to our premium content.

Most of our stories are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our members—advertisers, subscribers, and sponsors.

But some are premium content, available only to members. Those are in-depth, investigative, or exclusive stories that are available only on Oak Ridge Today. They generally require at least four hours to report, write, and publish.

You can subscribe for as little as $5 per month.

You can read more about your options here.

We currently offer five primary subscription options to readers, and they include benefits.

Basic

  • Basic monthly subscription ($5 per month)—access premium content
  • Basic annual subscription ($60 per year)—access premium content

Pro

  • Pro monthly subscription ($10 per month)—access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month
  • Pro annual subscription ($100 per year)—save $20 per year, access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month

Temporary

  • Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here.

If you prefer to send a check for a subscription or donation, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Thank you for your consideration and for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support.

Commenting Guidelines

We welcome comments, but we ask you to follow a few guidelines:

1) Please use your real name, including last name. Please also use a valid e-mail address.
2) Be civil. Don't insult others, attack their character, or get personal.
3) Stick to the issues.
4) No profanity.
5) Keep your comments to a reasonable length and to a reasonable number per article.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these guidelines. Comments held for review, usually from those posting for the first time, may not post if they violate these guidelines. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for reading Oak Ridge Today and for participating in the discussion.

More information is available here.

More Police and Fire News

RSCC Coffey McNally Building Oak Ridge

Roane State has training exercise Wednesday

Roane State Community College will have a training exercise on its Oak Ridge Branch Campus on Wednesday. Law enforcement and emergency vehicles may be on campus during this time, the college said Tuesday. … [Read More...]

DEA Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday. As part of the event, ASAP of Anderson is partnering with police departments in Anderson County to provide the community a "safe and convenient … [Read More...]

One person flown to hospital, in critical condition after rollover crash

The Oak Ridge Police Department was investigating a serious rollover crash on Laboratory Road near the exit from Home Depot on Tuesday evening, April 13, 2021. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today) Note: This story … [Read More...]

Man wanted in Ohio hides in Oak Ridge church, but K-9 finds him

Casey J. Jones A man who was wanted by law enforcement officers in Ohio fled and hid in an Oak Ridge church after a traffic stop Sunday morning, but an Anderson County K-9 unit found him hiding in a bathroom closet … [Read More...]

Governor authorizes $10,000 reward in Thomas Thrasher death investigation

The Oak Ridge Police Department and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated the death of a 29-year-old man found dead in a second-floor apartment at this Rolling Hills Apartments building in Oak Ridge on Monday, … [Read More...]

More Police and Fire

Recent Posts

  • THDA grant will help with down payment assistance in Oak Ridge
  • Demolition work at ORNL radioisotope lab could be complete this spring
  • Final Breakfast with the Legislators of the year is Monday
  • Roane State has training exercise Wednesday
  • Dogwood Junior Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge this weekend
  • National Park Service asks for public comments about Manhattan Project Park
  • DEA Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday
  • Register online now for ORICL summer courses
  • Roane State to host COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Oak Ridge for students & employees
  • ORAU will support COVID-19 communications for CDC Office of Minority Health & Health Equity

Search Oak Ridge Today

About Us

About Oak Ridge Today
What We Cover

How To

Advertise
Subscribe

Contact Us

Contact Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2021 Oak Ridge Today