Charges were filed against a former female youth minister accused of having sexual contact with a 17-year-old male, a Rutherford County Sheriff’s detective reported.
Defendant Jacqueline Taylor, 36, of Amherst Drive, was charged with sexual battery by an authority figure and contributing to the delinquency of a minor last month by Detective D.J. Jackson.
Taylor was accused of engaging in sexual contact with the juvenile while parking in her vehicle in driveways of vacant houses during January off Old Nashville Highway near Smyrna. When the juvenile’s parents learned about the alleged sexual assault, a complaint was filed with the sheriff’s office. Jackson’s investigation led to the charges.
During a General Session Courthearing Wednesday, Taylor asked for a public defender to represent her. Another hearing is set April 4.
Thirteen suspected drug dealers were charged and two people were cited after a drug roundup Tuesday by sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau officers and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.
The 13 suspects were accused of selling illegal drugs to undercover SEB detectives, said SEB Capt. Jason Mathis. Drugs sold included Ecstasy, cocaine, morphine, Oxycontin, marijuana and Suvoxone.
“These buys took place after several hours of surveillance and undercover operations,” Mathis said. “We feel taking 13 drug dealers off the streets gives us the upper hand. It lets them know we are watching them, doing our job and trying to prevent them from selling drugs in our community.”
Arrests and prosecutions of drug dealers keep them from distributing drugs on the streets, the captain said.
Sheriff Robert F. Arnold called the roundup a success.
“The roundup is part of our ongoing effort to stop drugs in Rutherford County,” Arnold said. “The roundup yielded the successful apprehension of 13 drug dealers off our streets.”
Mathis said while rounding up the suspects, officers served search warrants at two homes where they seized about $1,500 cash and two vehicles believed related to the drug sales. Seizing the cash affects the drug dealers as well as prosecuting them.
“By rounding up these people on one day, it does make a huge impact in our community,” Mathis said.
Suspects arrested and their charges include:
Nathan Andrew Hoffman, 29, of Old Lascassas Highway felony possession of marijuana indictment. He is being held at Rutherford County Adult Detention Center.
Phillip Hoffman, 27, of Hoovers Gap Road near Christiana, felony possession of marijuana for resale. He is being held.
Sean Drake, 26, of Red Mile Road near Murfreesboro, three indictments for sale of marijuana. He is being held.
Shelby Shaver, 20, of Windmere Drive in Murfreesboro, two indictments for sale of Ecstasy. She is being held.
Bonnie Adin, 48, of Cookeville, two indictments for possession of Suvoxone for resale. She is free on $25,000 bond.
Brenda Veloz, 44, of January Street in Murfreesboro, two indictments for possession of Schedule morphine and Oxycontin for resale. She is free on $15,000 bond.
Patrick Dotson, 32, of Twelve Corners Road in Lascassas, possession of marijuana for resale. He is being held.
Derrick Cathey, 25, who is homeless, possession of Schedule I drug for resale, possession of marijuana for resale. He was released to the Rutherford County Correctional Work Center.
Slater Cacace, 22, of Warrior Drive in Murfreesboro, possession of Schedule I drug for resale, possession of marijuana for resale. He was released on bond.
Michael Demond Watts, 32, of Hurricane Creek Drive in La Vergne, possession of Schedule III drugs for resale, two counts of possession of marijuana for resale, possession of drug paraphernalia.
Brenda Murks, 54, of Kari Drive in Murfreesboro, indictments for possession of Schedule III drugs. She is out on bond.
Theresa Manning, 44, of Hurricane Circle in La Vergne, possession of Schedule IV drugs for resale, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. During the search warrant of her home, detectives recovered a felony amount of marijuana and Schedule III pills, Mathis said. She is out on bond.
Her son, Brad Manning, was cited for simple possession of marijuana. Stephen Hoffman, brother to Nathan and Phillip Hoffman, was cited for simple possession of marijuana.
Another suspect, Timothy Craig Graham, 24, of East Trimble Road, was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon by a felon. He is free on bond.
Suspect Christopher Padgett, 29, of Morrison, was charged with violation of probation after detectives checked on him at Hoffman’s residence.
SEB will continue to conduct undercover operations and investigate drug dealers.
People who have information about illegal drugs may call the SEB Unit at 895-3609.
You can’t hide from the law forever.
Suspect Gary Leathers, 46, of Rockvale, was arrested at his home last week by a team of Rutherford County Sheriff’s deputies, Murfreesboro Police and U.S. Marshals after being wanted for 13 years for violation of probation.
Leathers’ arrest was part of a roundup of 261 warrants served, some dating back 13 years to one week, said sheriff’s Commander Jacoby O’Gwynn, who supervises the patrol and warrants divisions.
Teams from the sheriff’s office, including School Resource Officers, Murfreesboro Police and U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force rounded up the suspects during a four-day sweep last week.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Kevin Koback, who is the task force commander, said Sheriff Robert Arnold assigned a sheriff’s detective to the task force in September. The task force agreed to help in the roundup.
“We try to get the worst of the worst, rapists and murderers,” Koback said. “We’re just here to help.”
Arnold said having the detective on the task force allows the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office to have access to the U.S. Marshal’s office and their personnel in Middle Tennessee. He thanked the marshals and Murfreesboro Police for their participation in the roundup.
O’Gwynn said about 40 School Resource Officers who are out of school for the summer, 10 officers from the task force, Murfreesboro Police, the Criminal Warrants deputies and an officer from the Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole joined in the roundup. They searched for suspects both early in the morning and late at night.
“We tried to target felonies and Class A misdemeanors,” O’Gwynn said.
Of the warrants served, 83 were felonies and 178 were misdemeanor charges. About 30 suspects were wanted in other counties. Charges included aggravated robbery, carrying a prohibited weapon, burglary and retaliation for past actions.
Lt. Chris Beach, who supervises booking, said 401 suspects were booked into the in the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center from June 5-11 as compared to 299 suspects the previous week.
Officers arrested about 10 other people on charges such as drug offenses, DUI and violation of probation.
For example, SRO James Coots reported officers were attempting to serve a warrant on Rutherford Boulevard when they saw a glass pipe fall from a vehicle. Driver Norman Sprague, 28, of Smithville, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, casual exchange of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In another case, SRO Carl Watts reported officers checked on a suspect’s girlfriend and found she had warrants for DUI and criminal trespassing.
O’Gwynn said more roundups are expected.
“We could not have achieved what we did without the help of the U.S. Marshals, Murfreesboro Police Department, the Board of Probation and Parole and the SRO division,” O’Gwynn said. “We hope the next roundup we conduct goes as smoothly and efficiently as this one did.”
Capt. Derrell Cagle, who supervises the Warrants Division, said it’s difficult to find suspects because they move from place to place to avoid prosecution and arrest. However, the warrants deputies try to locate suspects regularly.
Some suspects who learned about the officers searching for them turned themselves in at the RutherfordCountyAdultDetentionCenter.
O’Gwynn estimated about 75 percent of the warrants attempted were not at the address given on the arrest warrant but that didn’t deter the officers who searched for suspects.
“We’ll catch them and bring them to justice,” O’Gwynn said.
More than $12,230 worth of illegal drugs was confiscated from Bonnaroo Festival goers while traveling last week through Rutherford County, a sheriff’s captain said.
"This festival invites a large amount of illicit narcotics inside our community,” said Capt. Jason Mathis of the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau. “SEB was able to deter law breakers and satisfy complaints from local business owners of individuals using and selling illegal narcotics in their parking lots. SEB conducted this assignment as well as conducting normal weekly activities.”
SEB deputies made 17 felony arrests ranging from possession of illegal mushrooms, cocaine and marijuana, and 51 misdemeanor arrests.
More than 150 warning citations were issued. Also, a sheriff’s K-9 helped Murfreesboro Police Department officers in a search for illegal drugs.
The arrests and citations came after business owners and residents complained about Bonnaroo attendees camping in parking lots, blocking businesses and buying and using illegal drugs at the businesses, especially at Wal-Mart on Old Fort Parkway, Custom Care Kennel on Thompson Lane and at the Buchanan Road exit of Interstate 24, the captain said.
“We had several complaints they were actually smoking marijuana in the parking lots,” Mathis said.
They charged a father and son accused of possessing cocaine who were believed selling the illegal drug in Rutherford County before going to Bonnaroo, he said. Also, they charged a mother and son after confiscating high quality marijuana from them. Several people were charged for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Suspect Mickey Tidwell didn’t realize the customer who allegedly purchased three stolen rifles from him actually owned the firearms, a Rutherford County Sheriff’s detective said.
Burglars stole three rifles and other property from owner Bryant Bain’s home Monday on Highship Road, Detective Jim Tramel said Friday. Bain received a tip Tidwell possibly possessed his handguns.
Bain apparently purchased his rifles from Tidwell Thursday, then immediately notified Tramel who was investigating the case.
“We don’t recommend these types of actions by anyone to retrieve their property due to safety reasons,” Tramel said.
Tramel enlisted Deputy Jack Keisling of the Criminal Warrants Division who located Tidwell at Wal-Mart on Rutherford Boulevard.
Keisling, Tramel and Deputy Gregg Speck apprehended Tidwell and brought him to the sheriff’s office for an interview.
“Tidwell gave a statement he sold the guns and didn’t realize he was selling them back to the victim,” Tramel said.
Tramel charged Tidwell with theft of property. Tidwell, 35, of Factory Road, was booked into Rutherford County Adult Detention Center where a hearing was set Feb. 8 in General Sessions Court. Tidwell is a felon with a lengthy criminal record.
The detective checked the background of Tidwell’s girlfriend, Heather Begley, and found she was wanted for statutory rape and other charges. Begley was booked into the detention center where she is being held.



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