Defendant in Christmas Day meth lab seizure pleads

By Michael R. Moser / mmoser@crossville-chronicle.com

A Cinnamon Circle man arrested with a woman on Christmas in possession of a rolling methamphetamine lab pleaded guilty to that and other charges in Cumberland County Criminal Court and received an eight-year prison sentence.

Christopher W. Nichols was facing multiple felony counts when he pleaded guilty to several charges and received a total of eight years.

On Christmas Day, 2008, Crossville Police were dispatched to N. Main St. on a report of a "rolling domestic" dispute and discovered a black Jeep Cherokee in the parking lot of Progressive Bank, according to Ptl. Danny Harris' report at the time.

The officer approached the car and was told by the male and female occupants that they had been arguing over money. However, the officer detected an odor coming from the vehicle and when a city K-9 unit arrived on the scene, the dog alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle.

A resulting search yielded working components of a clandestine meth lab in the vehicle and led to Nichols' arrest.

Nichols was also arrested in August 2008 in the presence of a meth lab being operated in the Village Inn on Main St.

Nichols also was tied to the burglary of the Tommy Buttons residence.

In all, Nichols was facing two charges of initiation of the process to manufacture methamphetamine, one count of the promotion of the manufacture of meth, one simple possession of marijuana charge and one burglary charge.

He pleaded guilty to one count of promotion of the manufacture of meth and received a four-year prison sentence. He pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and received a four-year prison sentence.

Nichols pleaded guilty to two counts of initiation of the process to manufacture meth and received two eight-year prison sentences. All sentences are to be served concurrent or at the same time.

In other cases on the docket, the following took place.

Guilty pleas

•Courtney Nicole Turner, 30, charged with manufacture or sale of methamphetamine, pleaded guilty to possession of less than .5 grams of meth and received a six-year suspended sentence to be served in the Teen Challenge program through Roane County, and was fined $1,000 and court costs.

•Johnny Ray Davis, 23, charged with theft more than $1,000, pleaded guilty to the indictment and was ordered to serve two years in prison, consecutive to the present sentence being served, and is to pay $7,500 in restitution.

•John Henry Bernard, 76, sale and delivery of dihydrocodeine, pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule III drug and received a two-year suspended sentence to be served on probation.

•Timothy Washington Lloyd, 35, charged with especially aggravated burglary, pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal trespass and received a six-month suspended sentence to be served on probation.

•Christy Ann Williams, 35, charged with sale and/or delivery of a schedule II drug and sale and/or delivery of a schedule III drug, pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II drug and received a three-year suspended sentence to be served on probation, was fined $2,000 and court costs. Defendant is to undergo alcohol and drug assessment, complete any followup recommendations and to pay $195 restitution to the TBI Drug Task Force.

•Mark Winton, 22, charged with domestic assault and evading arrest, pleaded guilty to evading arrest and received an 11-month and 29-day suspended sentence to be served on probation.

•Kerry R. Dishman, 34, pleaded guilty to an information charging possession of less than .5 grams of a schedule II drug for resale and received a four-year suspended sentence with one year to serve in jail and the remainder on probation. Fine and court costs was waived.

•Douglas Edward Mackie, 43, fourth offense driving under the influence, dropped. Pleaded guilty to an information charging reckless endangerment and received a two-year suspended sentence with 45 days to serve and the remainder on probation.

Set for trial

•Daniel Shawn Moore, initiation of the process to manufacture methamphetamine, set for trial March 26.

Arraignment

•Paula Brenda Selby, theft of property and non-emergency 911 calls, continued to Jan. 22.

•Daniel L. Jackson, two counts of aggravated burglary, theft more than $1,000 and theft more than $500, continued to March 8.

Return with attorney

•Darrell Ray Baker, two counts of driving under the influence, continued to Jan. 27 at which time defendant is to return to court with an attorney.

•James Jeremiah Pugh, possession of more than .5 grams of methamphetamine for resale, possession of more than one-half ounce of marijuana for resale and three counts of sale and delivery of more than one-half ounce of marijuana, continued to Jan. 27 at which time defendant is to return to court with an attorney.

•Brian C. Rector, sale and delivery of more than .5 grams of cocaine, continued to Jan. 25.

•Paula Brenda Selby, five counts of theft more than $10,000 and two counts of theft of $10,000, Public Defender's Office appointed to represent the defendant; continued to Jan. 22.

Deadline docket

•Matthew Raymond Alcorn, aggravated burglary, attempted theft more than $500 and vandalism, continued to Jan. 22.

•Rita Denise Starnes Bohannon, possession of more than .5 grams of methamphetamine for resale, two counts of sale and/or delivery of more than one-half ounce of marijuana and two counts of possession of more than one-half ounce of marijuana for resale, continued to Jan. 27.

•Aubrey Chantel Braunm, initiation of the process to manufacture methamphetamine, continued to Feb. 12.

•Kirsty Nacole Braunm, two counts of sale and/or delivery of a schedule III drug, enhanced by violation of the Drug Free School Zone Act, pre-trial diversion pending; continued to Jan. 27.

•Kenneth Dean Brown, two counts of sale and/or delivery of a schedule III drug, continued to Dec. 15.

•Jeremy Ernest Clark, aggravated burglary, attempted theft more than $500 and vandalism more than $500, continued to Dec. 15.

•Constance Ann Gray, two counts of sale and/or delivery of dihydrocodeine, continued to Jan. 27; pretrial diversion application filed.

•Trevor L. Hall, aggravated burglary, attempted theft more than $500 and vandalism, continued to Jan. 27.

•Scott Anthony Howard, eighth offense driving under the influence, per se, and violation of the habitual motor vehicle offender law, continued to Jan. 27.

•Brian Lee Lance, sale and/or delivery of dihydrocodeine, continued to Jan. 27.

•Alex Daniel Pokorny, solicitation of a minor, continued to Dec. 15.

•Melinda Claire Presley, theft less than $500 and two counts each of forgery and passing a forged instrument, to be dropped by the District Attorney's Office.

•Robert A. Reynolds, aggravated burglary and theft more than $1,000, in federal custody; ordered held without bond.

•Delbert Wade Smith, assault, District Attorney's Office to drop charges; restraining order issued.

•Shawn Christopher Sturgill, rape of a child, District Attorney's Office to dismiss with prejudice.

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