More Burglary and Theft Charges Brought Against Sparta Man

August 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A Sparta man responsible for a burglary and theft at two cabins belonging to the same victim on Timber Lane has been arrested by the Sheriff’s Department

38 year old Chadwick Noble Dunham of Sparta is charged with two counts of aggravated burglary, two counts of vandalism, and two counts of theft. Dunham is under a $75,000 bond on these charges and he will make a court appearance on August 15.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on July 14, Dunham broke into a residence on Timber Lane and destroyed a glass door window in the process before taking a 48 inch Proscan television, 55 inch Samsung Smart television, Echo weedeater, two vacuum cleaners, and several other items with a total value of $2,600. The damage caused during the vandalism came to $400.

On the same day, Dunham broke into another residence on Timber Lane and destroyed a window in the process before stealing a 55 inch Vizio television, Xbox One, Sunny Bluetooth with speakers, Ipod, DVD player, two garden wagons and two lamp shades with a total value of $1,700. Damage from the vandalism came to $250.

Dunham had previously been arrested by the Sheriff’s Department after stealing items from three boats and damaging two of them in the process on Timber Lane.

Sheriff Ray said that on July 14 Dunham broke into a 2004 Triton boat, a 2013 Moomba boat, and a 2014 Cobalt boat and took a knee board, marine speakers, assorted cleaning supplies, a boat anchor, a black generator cover, several fishing rods, reels and fishing tackle. The total value of the items is $1,670.  On two of the boats, Dunham destroyed a trolling motor, fishing rods, battery, and wiring to the boats causing damage totaling $2,350.

25 year old Jeremy Frank Campbell of Chapel Hill is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court August 15.

Sheriff Ray said that on July 26 a deputy was called to check on a man who was observed waving down cars on Nashville Highway in Liberty. Upon arrival the officer spoke with the man, Campbell and noticed that he had a strong odor of alcohol on his person. He was also unsteady on his feet and his speech was slow. Campbell was also unaware of his surroundings. He admitted to having consumed a few drinks earlier.

25 year old Rodna Wayne Brock, Jr. of Shady Place, Smithville is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $3,500 and he will be in court August 15.

Sheriff Ray said that on July 27 a deputy responded to a domestic call at the Brock home and spotted a vehicle driven by Brock that had just left the residence. He then went to the Brock home and spoke to a man who reported he and his brother, Brock, had gotten into an argument and that Brock hit him in the face with a candle causing three gashes above his eye.

28 year old Ashley Carol Hernandez of Gentry Avenue, Smithville is charged with assault; resist stop, frisk, halt, arrest, or search; and bringing contraband into a penal institution. Her bond is $10,500 and she will make a court appearance on August 15.

Sheriff Ray said that on July 27 a deputy went to West Main Street to serve a warrant on Hernandez but while she was being placed in custody, Hernandez became profane and began to resist. She hit the deputy in the mouth with her elbow causing him to sustain a bloody lip.

After Hernandez was brought to the jail she was strip searched by a female correctional officer in the bathroom of the booking area where a small blue container was recovered that held two yellowish green colored pills.

42 year old Heath Wesley Braswell of Ferrell Road, Smithville is charged with filing a false report. His bond is $5,000 and he will make a court appearance on August 15.

Sheriff Ray said that on July 30 three deputies were called to Braswell’s home due to a reported physical domestic in progress. Upon arrival the officers spoke with Braswell who reported that a woman had hit him in the face several times but she told the deputies that there had been no physical altercation between her and Braswell. When pressed further, Braswell admitted that there had been no physical assault.

43 year old Jackie Lynn Davidson of Pine Creek Drive, Smithville is charged with failure to appear. She is under a $1,500 bond and her court date is August 15.

Sheriff Ray said that on July 31 Davidson failed to report to jail within the required ten days to be booked on a criminal summons for dogs running at large. Davidson had been served with the summons on July 18 and had until July 28 to report for booking.

25 year old Carlee Rose Landis of Johnson’s Chapel Road is charged with domestic assault. Her bond is $2,500 and she will make a court appearance on August 15.

Sheriff Ray said that on August 1 a deputy was dispatched to Landis’ home due to a physical domestic. Upon arrival the officer spoke with a woman who reported that she and her granddaughter, Landis had gotten into an argument and that Landis grabbed her hair and pulled her down before pushing her into a wall and scratching her face.

36 year old Jaquantez Shermont Pearson of Bell Street, Smithville is charged with violation of an order of protection. His bond is $3,500 and he will be in court on August 22.

Sheriff Ray said that on three different occasions Pearson called the petitioner of an order of protection against him while he was incarcerated at the jail.

39 year old Aubrey Glenn Rigsby of Bethel Road, Smithville is charged with a 7^th offense of driving on a suspended license. His bond is $7,500 and he will be in court on August 22.

Sheriff Ray said that on August 3 a deputy spotted Rigsby drive into the parking lot of Mapco Express in a silver Pontiac Grand Prix. Knowing that Rigsby’s license are suspended the officer stopped to confront Rigsby and confirmed through a computer check that his license has been suspended since April 4, 2003 for failure to appear in court and he had six prior offenses for driving without a license.

21 year old Adam Michael Whitecotton of Oak Drive, Smithville is charged with assault. His bond is $5,000 and he will make a court appearance on August 15.

Sheriff Ray said that as a correctional officer was escorting him back to his cell at the jail Whitecotton became confrontational and struck the officer several times about his face.

August 7, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Social Security numbers are the skeleton key to identity theft. And what better way to get someone’s Social Security number than by pretending to be from Social Security?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that scammers call thousands of Americans every day, looking to wangle personal information, steal benefits or both. It’s a common form of government imposter scam in which fraudsters pose as government officials to get you to send money or give up personal and financial data for use in identity theft.

Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins says such activity has been occurring locally of late.

“The elderly are being targeted by these scammers. People are reporting to us that they have received telephone calls from the number 1-844-228-5887 and the caller claims to be from the Social Security Administration. The scammer tells the would be victim that their social security number has been used for fraudulent activity and then requests personal information from the victim in order to keep them safe. Do not fall for this scam. The Social Security Administration already has your personal information and will not call you in this manner,” said Chief Collins.

If someone has tried to make you a victim of this scam you may report it to the Smithville Police Department at 615-597-8210.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported a surge in late 2018 in scams involving fake SSA employees calling people with warnings that their Social Security numbers had been linked to criminal activity and suspended. The caller asks you to confirm your number so he or she can reactivate it or issue you a new one, for a fee. This is no emergency but a ploy to get money and personal data: Social Security does not block or suspend numbers, ever.

This con is sometimes executed via robocall — the recording provides a number for you to call to remedy the problem. In another version, the caller says your bank account is at risk due to the illicit activity and offers to help you keep it safe.

August 7, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A celebration was held Tuesday evening for three adults and three juveniles who have graduated from the DeKalb County Recovery Court Program and are on the path to sober living.

The Retreat at Center Hill Lake served as the setting for the observance.

(Video below of Judge Bratten Cook, II)

IMG_9122 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

Each of the adult graduates, Justin Murphy, Maranda Murphy, and Jamie Ramos, along with the juveniles, Kaylee Duggin, Jacklyn Reed, and Emily Roehner received plaques from General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Cook, II in recognition for their accomplishments.

“This program takes an extreme amount of dedication and hard work, but our hope is that these graduates will take the knowledge and skills that they have learned throughout their time in the program and not only implement it in their life, but to be an inspiration to others,” said Kate Arnold, Coordinator of the DeKalb County Recovery Court Program.

(Video below of Recovery Court guest speaker Justin Cantrell)

IMG_9123 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

Recovery Court, a 12 month program, provides an alternative to incarceration for eligible non-violent offenders, who are deemed substance dependent.

Ramos was accepted by the Recovery Court Team on April 12, 2018. A resident of the Hope Society in Lebanon, Ramos has completed treatment, recovery, parenting, and the 12 Step Programs, paid her court costs and fines, and has now obtained employment. Ramos has been Baptized and now attends spiritual services each week and on March 13 she won custody of her daughter.

“Recovery Court helped save my life. Recovery Court gave my daughter her mother back and I have worked really hard over these 16 months and I will continue to work on staying sober. I can say I am proud of myself and I truly love myself. Recovery is possible. It works if we work it. I have also been able to fix relationships that were destroyed due to active addiction. I could not have done this without God. I thank God for allowing me another chance to change my life. I also want to thank Recovery Court for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself and pushing me to be better. God has blessed me with an amazing support system and I am grateful to be graduating tonight and to be sober,” said Ramos.

Maranda Murphy entered the Recovery Court Program on December 15, 2016. She has paid all of her court costs and fines and last fall was admitted to the House of Hope, Mission Teens in Brazil, Indiana and successfully completed the program on July 26 after 282 days. During that time, Maranda served as a full time cook and later was promoted to Assistant Food Manager. She eventually became a trainee counselor of other residents there.

“I want to thank Jesus for all His blessings on me and for everything He has brought me through. I also want to thank the Recovery Court team for believing and trusting in me enough to send me to a place long enough to where I could trust in myself again. Somewhere that changed me and made me realize my family and life is better than falling into the devil’s temptations. In the beginning I didn’t have hope with my addiction but God saw fit for me to have another chance,” said Maranda Murphy.

Justin Murphy was accepted into the Recovery Court Program on April 26, 2018. He received his certificate of completion from the Buffalo Valley Substance Abuse Treatment facility on July 14, 2018 and got his very first job with benefits at Omega Apparel in November, 2018 and he is still employed there today. Murphy has paid all his court costs and fines and completed the 12 Step Program among other obligations.

“I just want to say difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. I would like to thank everybody and the Recovery Court Team for giving me guidance in the right direction,” said Justin Murphy

Although skeptics remain, Judge Cook said more people are beginning to realize the importance of Recovery Courts.

“Some of my colleagues (judges) do not believe in Recovery Court but thank goodness there are very few of those people but some still do not recognize that addiction is a disease. Medical science has shown time and again that addiction is a disease and it takes a lot to treat it. If you incarcerate someone it costs about $20,000 a year to keep them up and that is if they don’t have any serious medical problems. The expense for those in Recovery Court is about $5,000 a year so it’s a no brainer. Do we want to treat and get them back on the right road at $5,000 a year or do we want to throw them in jail and spend $20,000 a year on them where they learn nothing and usually come out worse than when they went in. Thank goodness our society is coming around to the belief that addiction is a disease and one that we do need to treat. As far as I’m concerned, the people we’re afraid of we need to incarcerate and those we are mad at we need to treat. None of the people in our program are violent offenders but we’re mad at them because they might have stolen a checkbook and forged a bunch of checks or stolen something to try and get money for drugs. We’re not afraid of them. We’re just mad and when we find out the root of the problem and start treating it then they start in recovery and eventually get here as our six graduates are tonight,” said Judge Cook.

Justin Cantrell, a recovering drug addict and guest speaker for Tuesday night’s program, said his life has completely changed within the last three years thanks to Recovery Court.

“I grew up in a broken home. Both of my parents were drug addicts. I grew up angry and displeased about everything. I never felt good enough in school and never thought I would be a part of anything but I thank God for my grandparents. They really stepped in and helped me throughout my life. I took a hard road to get where I am today. I thank God for the 12 steps of recovery which allowed me to be here today. Without it I would have no peace in my life. That is what brought me to the understanding of my higher power, which is Jesus Christ. Once I started believing in myself my whole life changed and I started setting goals. Now I have my freedom, a car, home, a job, and I recently got married. My life has completely changed and I am going on three years clean now. I give all the glory to God,” said Cantrell.

Members of the DeKalb Adult Recovery Court Team who oversee the program in addition to Judge Cook, Recovery Court Coordinator Arnold, and Case Manager Rhonda Harpole are Clara Knowles of PSI Probation; Connie Beltz of the Sheriff’s Department; John and Kay Quintero of Haven of Hope; Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Johnson; Assistant District Public Defender Scott Grissom; Larry Latzman, Recovery Coach at Finding My Recovery Virtual Peer Support at Plateau Mental Health Center; and Keeley McKay of the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.

DeKalb Juvenile Recovery Court Team members in addition to Judge Cook and Recovery Court Coordinator Arnold are Case Manager Katie Parker; Sara Whisnant and Jamie York of DCS probation; Attorney Brandon Cox; Richard Williams, Juvenile Court Youth Service Officer; Tonya of Haven of Hope; and Tonya Kemper of UCHRA Intensive Probation.

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