Drug Pushers Rounded Up In Joint Interdiction Effort

Huntsville/Oneida, TN (2011-09-05) On Monday, a multijurisdictional law enforcement task force rounded up nearly thirty suspected drug dealers in a concerted effort to curtail the sale of illegal narcotics in Scott County.

Although it was a federal holiday, a contingency of more than 20 law enforcement officers from the Oneida Police Department and the Scott County Sheriff’s Department worked more than eight hours Monday serving warrants on 42 suspected drug pushers across the county. Despite persistent rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, officers pushed on throughout the day, knocking on doors, arresting suspects and gaining the respect of residents in neighborhoods throughout the county; many that had complained about suspected drug activity.

“It’s Labor Day, but it’s just another day to labor (for the men and women of law enforcement),” commented Scott County Sheriff Mike Cross. Cross was referring to the twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year nature of the law enforcement business. But it wasn’t just a coincidence that officers were rounding up suspects on a major federal holiday. Since taking office, Sheriff Cross has mounted several other rather unusual campaigns to target sex and drug offenders; often unleashing his 5-0 team in the middle of the night and weekends, during inclement weather, and now, even on a major holiday.

Monday’s roundup was a collaborative effort between the Oneida Police Department and Scott County Sheriff’s Department. “Sheriff Cross and I talked on numerous occasions about combining our efforts to avoid overlapping investigations, which would waste both our resources and time,” commented Oneida Police Chief Darryl Laxton.

While joint teams from both agencies systematically worked their way through the list of suspects, the entire force converged on the Oak Park Apartment Complex shortly before 11:00 a.m. Monday morning. There, teams simultaneously knocked on the doors of five suspected drug dealers, arresting four of the five suspects. “We had received a number of complaints about drug activity (at the complex),” commented Chief Laxton. Sheriff Cross concurred. The five suspects sought by authorities were targeted following a lengthy investigation by the Oneida Police Department into drug activity, including the alleged sale of narcotics to third party informants.

In all, the crackdown team targeted 42 persons; including suspects from 23 investigations led by the Sheriff Department, and another 19 cases lodged by the Oneida Police Department. In their initial effort, authorities found and arrested 27 suspects, along with one person that allegedly hid one of the suspects at his mobile home. While the concerted effort ended at the close of the business day, authorities continued to search for those unaccounted for, arresting two more suspects overnight.

Persons arrested and charged with the sale of schedule narcotics by the Oneida Police Department were: Doyle Wade Clark, 54, of Helenwood; William S. Cross, II, 23, of Huntsville; Christopher L. Davis, 25, of Oneida; John Godsey, 47, of Oneida; Christina Jones, 32, of Oneida; Tonya Kay Mills, 26, of Helenwood; Tony Neal, 42, of Oneida; Gatchel Owens, III, 42, of Oneida; Jonathan Craig Sexton, 32, of Oneida; Joseph W. Stephens, 29, of Oneida; and Chacey Yancey, 30, of Oneida. Those still being sought by Oneida authorities include: Anita M. Baird, 29, of Oneida; Matthew C. Herman, 40, of Oneida; Charles Lawson, 35, of Oneida; James D. Reagan, 37, of Oneida; Kerry Reed Strunk, Jr., 40, of Oneida; Sean Adrian Tucker, 40, of Oneida; James Ray Young, 31, of Oneida; and Shirley Young, 30, of Oneida.

The team also arrested Gil Clark, 46, of the Cherry Fork community. Authorities reportedly went to Clark’s residence looking for his brother, Doyle Wade Clark. At the home, authorities allegedly found methamphetamine, and items associated with the presence of methamphetamine. Authorities further claim that Clark hid his brother in a concealed compartment under the floor of his mobile home. Clark was charged with possession of a schedule II controlled substance (methamphetamine), possession of drug paraphernalia, and harboring a fugitive.

Those charged by the Scott County Sheriff’s Department with the sale of a schedule narcotic included: Robbie Byrd, 35, of Pioneer; Tasha Davis, 29, of Helenwood; Amanda Garrett, 29, of Oneida; Denny Wayne Garrett, 26, of Oneida; John Steven Godsey, 26, of Helenwood; Anthony Henry, 34, of Oneida; Clide “Yankee” Henson, 37, of Huntsville; Bridget Hughett, 37, of Oneida; Wayne Michael Kiser, 37, of Oneida; Adam Lambert, 35, of Oneida; Billy Joe Lewallen, 47, of Robbins; Michael Neal, 42, of Winfield; Carl Phillips, 67, of Helenwood; Bobby Rogers, 63, of Helenwood; Dorothy Silcox, 46, of Helenwood; Karen Watson, 44, of Helenwood; Brittany Webb, 21, of Helenwood; and Reuben Lee West, 31, of Huntsville. Persons still wanted by the Sheriff Department include: Christopher Dean Huckeby, 36, of Robbins; Terry Morrow, 39, of Oneida; Jamey Simmons, 34, of Robbins; and James Edward York, Sr., 54, of Winfield.

Persons arrested in connection with the drug roundup are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law and guilt is not implied by listing herein. Persons with the same or similar names may reside in the area.