WARREN COUNTY, TN - With drug arrests, it sometimes seems like a never-ending story—arrest after arrest, with new faces confronting addiction every minute across America. Reflecting this grim reality, the 31st Judicial District Attorney's Office and the Warren County Sheriff's Office named their latest drug sting, 'Operation Never Ending Story.'
In an effort to curb the sale of methamphetamine and fentanyl, the recent operation led to the arrest of nearly 50 suspected drug dealers in nearby Warren County, Tennessee. The name of the special operation, 'Operation Never Ending Story,' is packed with significance, as Warren County District Attorney General Chris Stanford explained. It's a nod to the exasperation law enforcement feels when, after risking life and limb to catch these suspected criminals, the court system seems to let them off easier than what some might expect. According to a press release, “...our court system and laws have been far too lenient on these drug dealers.” The release also noted, “This results in the drug dealers hitting the streets again, shortly after they serve brief periods of incarceration.”
According to the District Attorney's office, illegal narcotic use and sales drive 80% to 90% of all criminal activity in places like Warren County, which is about 25 miles from the Rutherford County line. So, the special operation should cut into some of that criminal activity because, “...Operation Never Ending Story led to the largest known drug dealer roundup to date in Warren County History,” according to the District Attorney General’s office.
The nearly 50 arrests began to unfold early Thursday (June 20, 2024) morning and involved investigators from the DA's office, agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), detectives from the Warren County Sheriff's Office, and detectives from the McMinnville Police Department. Problems for those arrested grew as the DA announced that the arrested defendants would have to prove to the District Attorney's Office and/or to the Judge that their money for bond comes from a legal source, “...such as a job, before they can be released.”
The press release from the DA's Office closed with a stern warning, “If you are a drug dealer reading this press release, know this: we are coming for you and we will get you. We will make every effort to incarcerate you as long as possible until you make the decision to turn your life around. We know that if we keep you incarcerated, you cannot continue to hurt our community with your crimes. It is only when we let you out and you do not wish to rehabilitate yourself, that the repeating 'Never Ending Story' of drug dealing and criminal activity continues. If you wish to continue playing your dangerous games, you are encouraged to move from Warren County. Otherwise, you'll find our law enforcement team constantly tripping you up in life. Govern yourselves accordingly.”
Those Arrested Include:
- William Rambo: Four counts of delivery/sale of methamphetamine
- April Stembridge: One charge per delivery/sale of Alprazolam
- Ashtin Cripps: One count of delivery/sale of hydrocodone
- Terry McNeil Jr. – Seven counts of delivery/sale of methamphetamine
- Major Keller – One count per delivery/sale of Hydrocodone and Alprazolam
- Kyrie Harris – Two counts of delivery/sale of oxycodone
- Tracy Jennings – Three counts of delivery/sale of methamphetamine
- Troy Parton – Two counts of delivery/sale of methamphetamine
- Alexandra Goodwin – four counts of delivery/sale of methamphetamine;
one count of delivery/sale of hydrocodone - Vivian Merriman – Two cases of supply/sale of Alprazolam
- Adam Elrod – Two counts of supply/sale of Aprazolam
- Ashley Ballew – Two counts of delivery/sale of methamphetamine
- Ashton Griffith – Three counts of delivery/sale of methamphetamine;
One count of delivery/sale of fentanyl - Brian Tidenburg – Two counts of delivery/sale of oxycodone
- Carly Blankenship – Two counts of delivery/sale of buprenorphine
- Damon Perkins – Three counts of supply/sale of methamphetamine
- Ceva Goode – Two counts of supply/sale of methamphetamine
- Christy Goodwin – Two counts of delivery/sale of methamphetamine
- Danny Elrod – Two counts of delivery/sale of buprenorphine
- Frankie Pomales – Supply/sale of oxycodone in individual cases
- Glen Jennings – supply/sale of a quantity of Oxycodone;
supply/sale of a quantity of Buprenorphine - Jerry Forsythe – Two counts of delivery/sale of oxycodone
- Janine Elkins – Two counts of supply/sale of hydrocodone
- Heather Beecham – one count of supply/sale of methamphetamine
- Joyce Brown – Supply/sale of a quantity of Alprazolam
- John Carter – Delivery/sale of oxycodone in individual cases
- Kassandra Price – Delivery/Sale of a Quantity of Hydrocodone
- Kaitlyn Scott – Three counts of delivery/sale of methamphetamine
- Linda Campbell – Supply/sale of oxycodone in individual cases
- Linda Manier- One of the deliveries/sales of Buprenorphine
- Mary Craven – Supply/sale of a single dose of Buprenorphine
- Mary Johnson – Supply/sale of a quantity of Buprenorphine
- Randy Gilley – Supply/sale of a single dose of buprenorphine
- Phillip Pease – Two counts of supply/sale of Alprazolam
- Richard Adams – One count of delivery/sale of methamphetamine
- Ronald Hinds – Four counts of supply/sale of methamphetamine
- Rudy Almaguer – Delivery/sale of Hydrocodone; Delivery/sale of Oxycodone
- Shelby Johnson – Delivery/sale of oxycodone in individual cases
- Ryan Presley – Two counts of delivery/sale of methamphetamine
- Ruth Young – One count of delivery/sale of methamphetamine
- Sherlock Holmes – Two counts of supply/sale of methamphetamine
- Terry Burger – Three counts of delivery/sale of methamphetamine
- Terry Giddeons – Supply/sale of hydrocodone in individual cases
- Tracy Atterson – Four counts of delivery/sale of methamphetamine
- Toni Lloyd – Delivery/sale of fentanyl in individual cases
DISCLAIMER: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The arrest records or information about an arrest that are published or reported on NewsRadio WGNS and www.WGNSradio.com are not an indication of guilt or evidence that an actual crime has been committed.
