DeKalb County deputies made several arrests last week, including a couple arrested after a traffic stop revealed drugs and paraphernalia.
On Friday, December 8, 35-year-old Jessica Renee Scruggs of Page Drive, Smithville, and 52-year-old Chad Everete Knowles of the Loop Circle, Smithville, were each charge in the case.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, a deputy was patrolling Sparta Highway when he spotted a blue Chevrolet Trailblazer that failed to maintain its lane of travel. The vehicle also had a silver license plate cover that obstructed the tag. The deputy conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and made contact with the driver, Scruggs and her passenger, Knowles.
Scruggs told the deputy that she had no driver license, and a background check through central dispatch confirmed her license was suspended. After obtaining consent to search, the deputy found several items of drug paraphernalia including pipes and needles containing residue. The search also turned up a black bag with six individual baggies inside, which held a clear crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine with a combined total weight of 17.17 grams. Authorities also found a scale that could have been used for distributing narcotics in Knowles’ pocket. A quarter of an orange pill believed to be suboxone was also retrieved from Scruggs’ purse.
Scruggs, was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while in possession of methamphetamine, driving on a suspended license, and simple possession of a schedule II & III drug. She is under a $112,500 bond.
Knowles was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver. He is under a $102,500 bond.
Both will be in court on December 21.
On December 9, 60-year-old Kevin Ray Wilson of Yulonda Hill Road, Smithville, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving on a revoked or suspended license. His bond is $28,500 and he will be in court December 21.
Sheriff Ray said that a deputy was patrolling Midway Road when he spotted an orange Ford Ranger without a license plate. He pulled it over and detected an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.
When asked if there was any marijuana in vehicle, the driver, Wilson, said he had a little bit on him in his jacket pocket. The deputy then retrieved from Wilson’s jacket pocket, a glove containing a clear baggie which held a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana that weighed 18.7 grams.
Deputies also located in the vehicle several straws and a pipe with residue on them. Central dispatch confirmed that Wilson’s license was suspended for failure to appear in court.
On December 10, 30-year-old Enrique Adelaido Lomas of New Home Road, Dowelltown, was arrested for altering, falsifying, or forging an auto title. He is under an $8,500 bond and will be in court January 4.
Sheriff Ray said that a deputy was on East Main Street in Smithville when he spotted a white Cadillac with Lomas in the driver seat. With prior knowledge that Lomas’ license was suspended, the deputy pulled over the vehicle at the car wash on East Broad Street.
The deputy detained Lomas after he got out of the vehicle and started to walk away. After a background check through central dispatch, the officer confirmed that Lomas’ license was suspended for failure to appear on November 4, 2023. The tag on the car was also out of date and had been altered. Officials say that a sharpie had been used to change the month on the tag from November to December.
On December 12, 56-year-old Buddy Gene Williams of Stetson Court, Murfreesboro, was arrested for violation of an order of protection. He is under a $7,500 bond and he is due in court on January 4.
The previous day, Williams allegedly violated an order of protection by contacting the protected person’s workplace in Alexandria and issued threats of harm. He called and asked for the protected person, and when he was told she was not working, he allegedly advised the employees to tell the protected person that he was going to burn her house down that night.
Also on December 12, 38-year-old Jose Elias Tejeda of Allen Street, Smithville, was arrested for aggravated assault. He is under a $7,500 bond and is due in court on January 4.
Authorities allege that Tejada intentionally and knowingly attempted to strangle the victim in the case.
On December 14, a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer was charged in a criminal summons with assault after an alleged incident that occurred while he was off duty. Jeremy David Sean Tramel, 36, of Smithville was charged in a criminal summons with assault.
According to the complaint, “On December 4, at approximately 3:00 p.m. Tramel did intentionally and knowingly cause reasonable fear of imminent bodily harm to Draven Harner after a verbal confrontation, spitting in Draven Harner’s face. This did occur in DeKalb County.”
He will appear in General Sessions Court January 4.
