22 arrested in drug sting “operation painkiller”

According to Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals 35 local subjects have been indicted by a Sevier County Grand Jury as a result of a four month drug sting investigation code named “Operation Painkiller”.

After several months of planning, the day came for the ‘round up’. It started at 7:00 am in the Sevier County Sheriff’s office. The deputies listened attentively to Captain Parton detail the indictments and the procedure to follow. Then he handed out approximately four warrants per team.

The deputies got in their cruisers and proceeded to various locations throughout Sevier County to apprehend the suspects.

Deputies Sara Sanchez and Mike VonCannon headed for the Seymour area. Their first stop was to locate and pick up Cynthia D. Paulk and Billy D. Foster across from Majestic Meadows on Norton Lane. There were tense moments as Deputy VonCannon knocked on the front door while Deputy Sanchez, with her hand gripping the gun in her holster in a ready stance waiting at the rear entrance to the home.

The entire department was keenly aware that there were four officers killed in another state the prior day serving warrants, so everyone was at full attention to the slightest danger. “This isn’t an easy thing to do when four of your counterparts were killed yesterday,” stated VonCannon.

“It is dangerous. You never know what to expect when serving warrants or on a domestic call,” Sanchez said.

The Sting, Lead by Sevier County Sheriff Seals, also involved Blount County Sheriff Deputies and the U. S. Marshall.

Seals stated that the round-up conducted by Sevier County Sheriffs Office Street Crimes Unit starting at 7:00am on Thursday Sept. 24th and resulted in the arrest of 22 of the defendants.

The additional arrest of subjects indicted by the latest Grand Jury are still ongoing.

Also 12 arrests have been made by the Sheriff’s Office of 12 individuals from the previous drug round-up in May 2009.

Seals states that this is an ongoing investigation by his department to try and deter the sale of drugs in Sevier County, especially the out of state importation of controlled substances into the area.

The following suspects were arrested by Sevier County’s Sheriff’s Office and Street Crimes Division:
William D. Lennox Jr.
102 South Blvd.
Sevierville, TN
Age—40  
Charged with sale and deliver Schedule II Cocaine and theft <500
Bond--$53,500.00
Carl G. Maples
326 McMahan Ave.
Sevierville, TN
Age—35
Charged with manufacturing marijuana
Bond--$10,000.00
Charles K. Luck
831 Burden Hill
Sevierville, TN
Age—42
Charged with sale and delivery of counterfeit controlled substance
Bond--$10,000.00
Richard Molinaro
918 E. Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN
Age—54
Charged with 2 counts of sale and delivery of marijuana
Bond--$20,000.00
Jimmy D. Ogle
2233 Big River Overlook
Sevierville, TN
Age—33
Charged with sale and delivery of morphine and sale and delivery of Alprazolam
Bond--$40,000.00
Matthew D. McMurray
3450 Spring View
Sevierville, TN
Age—29
Charged with sale and delivery of Oxycodone
Bond--$30,000.00
Sharon Cruze
2444 Ridge Rd, Apt 2
Sevierville, TN
Age—50
Charged with sale and delivery of Oxycodone
Bond--$30,000.00
Bobby Ellis
1034 Beverly Hills Dr.
Sevierville, TN
Age—57
Charged with sale and delivery of marijuana
Bond--$10,000.00
Melanie Burress-Morris
947 Jamesena Miller Dr.
Pigeon Forge, TN
Age—50
Charged with sale and delivery of Alprazolam and sale and delivery of Oxycodone
Bond--$50,000.00
Matthew J. Vance
6605 Cate Rd.
Powell, TN
Age—43
Charged with sale and delivery Fentanyl, sale and delivery of Hydrocodone, and sale and delivery of Alprazolam.
Bond--$90,000.00
Phillip D. Collier, II
4059 Hitching Post Rd.
Pigeon Forge, TN
Age—25
Charged with sale and delivery of Hydrocodone
Bond--$20,000.00
Jacinda A. Stansberry
1903 McCleary Bend Rd.
Sevierville, TN
Age—26
Charged with sale and delivery of Methylphenidate, sale and delivery of Hydrocodone, and sale and delivery of Oxycodone
Bond--$80,000.00
Corinna N. Kinner
412 Apple Valley Rd.
Sevierville, TN
Age—19
Charged with two (2) counts of sale and delivery of Oxycodone
Bond--$60,000.00
Cynthia D. Paulk
114 Norton Lane
Seymour, TN
Age—33
Charged with sale and delivery of Hydrocodone and sale and delivery of Oxycodone
Bond--$50,000.00
Ashley Sutton
507 Wooddale Lane
Sevierville, TN
Age—25
Charged with two (2) counts of sale and delivery of Clonazepam
Bond--$40,000.00
Billy D. Foster
114 Norton Lane
Seymour, TN
Age—36
Charged with sale and delivery of Dihydrocodinone
Bond--$20,000.00
Joshua E. Owens
3506 Cozyway
Sevierville, TN
Age—19
Charged with sale and delivery of Alprazolam
Bond--$20,000.00
David W. Atchley
2077 Little Valley Rd.
Sevierville, TN
Age—55
Charged with sale and delivery of Alprazolam
Bond--$20,000.00
Michael E. Kelly, Jr.
130 Old Mill Rd.
Sevierville, TN
Age—30
Charged with theft <$500
Bond--$3500.00
Heather M. McMahan
2748 Red Rooster Way
Sevierville, TN
Age—28
Charged with two (2) counts of sale and delivery schedule IV Diazepam
Bond--$20,000.00
Jarred M. Pritchett
513 Marshall Dr.
Sevierville, TN
Age—26
Charged with sale and delivery of schedule IV Alprazolam and sale and delivery of schedule I MDMA
Bond--$70,000.00
Alex M. Towne
1144 Hilltop Cir
Sevierville,Tn
Age 43
Charged w/ 2 cts sale & delivery of Marijuana
Bond $20,000.00
In Custody in Broward Co. Fl