Career Criminal Gets 20 Year Prison Sentence for 2019 Burglaries

February 2, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

A man responsible for three burglaries on the same day over two years ago is going to prison.

44-year-old Byron Ray Wilson, who was scheduled for trial Thursday, instead entered a plea Tuesday in DeKalb County Criminal Court to two counts of aggravated burglary. Judge Gary McKenzie sentenced Wilson to 10 years in each case to run consecutively for a total of 20 years. Because of his long criminal history most of it being from West Tennessee, Wilson has been classified as a career offender and must serve at least 60% of the sentence before he is eligible for parole. All other charges against him are being dismissed. He has been given jail credit for about 80 days of time already served.

Wilson was originally charged by Smithville Police with burglary and theft of property over $1,000 along with two counts of aggravated burglary for breaking into Harney’s Nursery on South Congress Boulevard, a residence on Joe Tittsworth Road, and another home on Meadowbrook Drive before being caught and held there by the homeowner until police could place him in custody. All three crimes occurred on October 7, 2019.

Greg Strong, Assistant District Attorney General summarized for WJLE the crimes Wilson admitted in court to committing.

“He broke into Harney’s Nursery and when officers responded there and were still on the scene investigating that burglary, they got a call that a house had been broken into on Joe Tittsworth Road. When police arrived at that house, they learned the homeowner had already chased Wilson away with a handgun. As a police officer was patrolling the area, he saw a suspicious figure in a garage at another house on Meadowbrook Drive. As the officer pulled into the driveway the suspicious figure was gone but he heard a ruckus in the house and found the homeowner wrestling Wilson to the ground where he held him until the officer arrested him. Wilson had items from all three burglaries in his possession when arrested,” said Strong.

Strong said he thought the sentence for Wilson was appropriate.

“Wilson was charged with two counts of aggravated burglary, one count of burglary and the attendant thefts that go with that. He had several other charges outstanding. He was a long-time offender from 2002 forward so we (prosecutors and public defender) agreed on 20 years at a 60% release eligibility date which was a good sentence for what he was charged with,” said Strong.

Smithville Police were called Monday, October 7, 2019 to Harney’s Nursery on South Congress Boulevard and observed that someone had kicked in the back door of the main office and went through the desk drawers. The only thing reported missing by the owner was a camo jacket that belonged to an employee and a set of keys on a lanyard.

Police were then summoned to a residence on Joe Tittsworth Road and upon arrival spoke with the homeowner who reported that he awoke from sleep to find an unknown man in his bedroom. After chasing the man out of his house, the homeowner returned to his room and noticed that his girlfriend’s jewelry including several gold necklaces and a gold oval ring valued at $2,000 had been stolen along with a pair of camo hunting boots and a Bluetooth headset.

Later while searching the area an officer saw a man peering out of an open garage at a residence on Meadowbrook Drive and stopped to talk with him but when he walked up to the garage the man was not there. The officer then noticed a door in the garage leading to the house and suspected the man had gone into the residence. Seconds later the door opened, and the homeowner emerged to report that he had caught the intruder (Wilson) by grabbing him around the neck and throwing him out of his house. The officer took Wilson into custody at the scene and upon a search found Wilson with the homeowner’s work badge in his pocket. Wilson was also wearing the camo jacket and he had the lanyard of keys from the nursery around his neck. He was also wearing the hunting boots and Bluetooth headset taken from the burglary on Joe Tittsworth Road.

February 1, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Tigers battled the Smith County Owls into double overtime before losing at Carthage Monday night 67 to 63. The Lady Tigers won their game 54 to 42.

DeKalb County will travel to Macon County tonight (Tuesday, February 1). The girls game tips off at 6 p.m. followed by the boys game. WJLE will have LIVE coverage.

https://www.wjle.com/tiger-talk/

The Tigers led the Owls 18 to 7 after the 1st period and held a 30 to 24 advantage by halftime. DC had built a 43 to 35 lead by the end of the 3rd period but the Owls rallied in the 4th and by the end of regulation the game was tied at 49. Each team scored 10 points in the 1st overtime period and headed into the 2nd overtime tied at 59. From there the Owls outscored the Tigers 8 to 4 and won 67 to 63.

Stetson Agee led the Tigers in scoring with 15 points followed by Robert Wheeler 14, Jordan Young 12, Brayden Antoniak 11, Zach Birmingham 5, and Isaac Knowles and Elishah Ramos each with 3.

The Lady Tigers led 18 to 13 after the 1st period of the girls game but fell behind 24 to 22 by halftime. DC rallied to take a 40 to 30 lead after the 3rd period and went onto claim a 54 to 42 victory.

Kadee Ferrell scored 14, Ella VanVranken 13, Avery Agee 11, Madison Martin 9, Ella Hendrixson 5 and Xharia Lyons 2

In the previous meeting on December 7 the Lady Tigers lost at home to Smith County 62 to 55 and the Tigers were defeated 76 to 66.

The Tigers are 11-11, 3-6 and the Lady Tigers 14-10, 3-6

February 1, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department nabbed a suspected drug dealer last week with the arrest of a Smithville woman in the parking lot of the Shiney Rock Market on Highway 56 south.

44-year-old Bridgette Nicole Vientos of Kendra Drive, Smithville is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; sale and delivery of schedule VI drug (marijuana); and possession of drug paraphernalia. Vientos was further charged with bringing contraband into a penal institution. Her bond totals $61,500 and she will make a court appearance February 3.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on January 25 a detective was patrolling on McMinnville Highway when he spotted two vehicles stopped beside each other at Shiney Rock Market at closing time. From one of the vehicles a man got out on the passenger side and entered the other vehicle on the passenger side which appeared to the detective to be a possible drug transaction. When the detective pulled into the parking lot, the two occupants of the vehicle appeared to be arguing. The driver of the vehicle, Vientos, had active felony warrants against her out of Chattanooga. When confronted by the detective, Vientos admitted to having methamphetamine in the car and consented to a search. Found inside the car was a red bag which contained an estimated 1.5 ounces of methamphetamine, 1.57 grams of marijuana, a glass pipe, digital scales, a marijuana grinder, and a can of Butane fuel. Another glass pipe was retrieved from the center console and a baggie with residue was found in the car’s glove box. Found inside Vientos’ coin purse was a piece of paper believed to be a drug transaction ledger on which were written names and number amounts.

Four days later on January 29 while incarcerated at the jail Vientos was strip searched by a female correctional officer after Vientos admitted to having contraband hidden in her body cavity. During the search a clear baggie was retrieved which contained a crystal-like substance.

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