Sheriff Issues Warning About Phone Scam

January 3, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray is warning residents about a phone scam where callers are posing as law enforcement officers and asking would be victims to pay a fine.

The scammers have already tried to prey on would be victims locally.

According to Sheriff Ray, in some cases the caller has identified himself as Lieutenant Lance Watson or Lance White of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department. He tells them that their conversations are being recorded and that they are to write down what he says to them. The man tells his would be victims that they have citations against them and that they owe fines. He warns that their case has been entered into a National Crime Information Center Database and that if they don’t obtain a prepaid card to pay their fines, he will have them arrested. The scammer even goes so far as to give phone numbers to the Civil Citations Criminal Warrants Division where the would be victims can get more information. But when they call, a recording instructs the would be victims to give their name, phone number, and a brief detailed message after which a deputy will return the calls.

Sheriff Ray warns you not to fall for this scam. He says there is no one working for the sheriff’s department by the name Lance Watson or Lance White and that the Sheriff’s Office does not make calls in this manner to anyone.

Remember if you have a prepaid card, don’t give the numbers from that card to a stranger because if it is a scam, your money is gone.

Sheriff Ray said the scammers are not easy to trace because they are most likely using burner phones.

If you have been victim of a scam contact the Sheriff’s Department.

January 3, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Circuit Court Clerk Susan Martin has launched a new service that allows offenders to pay fines, court costs, and traffic tickets online without having to come to the office.

This applies to fines and costs owed through the General Sessions, Juvenile, and Circuit Courts.

Those who wish to make use of the service may go to www.courtfeepay.com and click the “Make a Payment” link. Then select your state (Tennessee) and county (DeKalb County Circuit Court Clerk). You will then select the court, either General Sessions, Juvenile, or Circuit Court and fill in the remaining information requested. If you are not sure about which court, you may contact the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office to inquire.

Remember the judge for the General Sessions and Juvenile Courts in DeKalb County is Judge Bratten Cook, II. The Circuit Court Judges are Amy Hollars and Jonathan Young and the Criminal Court judges are Gary McKenzie and David Patterson.

This is the latest service Martin has implemented to make the office more user friendly for the public and her staff.

Coming soon is a new DeKalb County Circuit Court Clerk website.

“I am really looking forward to having a website for our office because it offers so many advantages. For example jury panels could look on there to see when they are needed for court. Also if someone had a ticket they could pull up the website and find their court date or check dockets coming out to see if they had a case on there. When it snows you could check and see if the courthouse is open that day,” she said.

Martin said she also wants to be able to send text messages to jurors concerning jury duty.

“I want to get it set up where anybody selected on a jury panel would have the option to receive text messages about when they would need to come in. That would provide more options. They would have a text message from us or they could still call in at the automated number or they could look on the website,” Martin continued.

“I would also like to have a scanner at the desk of each employee that way they could scan in files if somebody needed something pulled up right away. Instead of us having to go through files on three floors of the courthouse looking for something they could pull it up from their desk,” she added.

“I also want to start an in-house collection service so that we could contact anyone who has old debts owed for fines and court costs and maybe work out some kind of payment arrangement to help them get that reconciled,” Martin said.

January 3, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A McMinnville man lost his life in a head-on crash Wednesday afternoon on Highway 146 near the DeKalb County line in Cannon County.

Dead is 35 year old Freddie Eldridge.

The crash occurred at 3:20 p.m. about a mile from the DeKalb County Line.

According to Trooper Richard Teachout of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Eldridge was traveling south in a 2013 Honda Civic when he crossed into the northbound lane while trying to negotiate a curve and struck an oncoming 2012 Jeep Cherokee driven by 51 year old Melissa Stringer of Smithville.

Eldridge died at the scene. Stringer was taken by Cannon County EMS to Saint Thomas Stones River Hospital in Woodbury and then to Vanderbilt Hospital.

Members of the Cannon County Rescue Squad were summoned to perform extrication services to help remove the body of Eldridge, which was pinned in the vehicle. The Cannon County Short Mountain Highway Fire Station and Cannon County Sheriff’s Department were also on the scene.

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