News Herald Arrest Report

2 men plead guilty to sex offenses

A Lenoir City man pled guilty in late January in Loudon County Criminal Court to one count of rape involving a 14-year-old girl.

Richard Nitz, 39, was sentenced to 12 years with the Tennessee Department of Corrections. After he is released, he will be placed on the national Sex Offender Registry and be subject to community supervision for life, which is an "enhanced form of probation for violent sex offenders," according to a press release from the Ninth Judicial District Attorney General's office.

"Though he will receive credit for the nearly two years that he has already been in custody pending a trial, because he was convicted of a violent sexual offense, he will be required to serve 85 percent of his sentence before becoming parole eligible," according to the release.
 
Norman Lettieri, 41, Lenoir City, pled guilty to two counts of reckless aggravated assault recently in Loudon County Criminal Court and was sentenced to six years probation.
 
During the probationary period, Lettieri will have to complete a psychosexual evaluation and an alcohol and drug assessment, according to the DA's press release.
 
Lettieri's attorney, T. Scott Jones, asked the court to allow the man to take advantage of judicial diversion, and Judge Jeff Wicks deferred ruling until May 2.
Assistant District Attorney Alyson Kennedy, who leads the DA's Child Sex Crimes Unit, was the prosecutor handling both cases.
 
Pair jailed for drugs in speeding stop
 
Two Lenoir City women were transported Friday to Loudon County Jail after police initially spotted a green Ford Taurus going 13 miles per hour over the speed limit on Old Highway 95 in Lenoir City.

Stopping the vehicle for going 43 mph in a 30 mph zone, Loudon County Sheriff's Office Deputy Cody Fritts recognized the driver, Stacy Renee Duggan, 39, Lenoir City, for having a previous revoked license charge for driving under the influence from July 2010, according to the arrest report. Fritts also identified a passenger in the car as Latonda S. Hughes, 35, Lenoir City.

While speaking with Duggan, Fritts noticed that she had "several pills" in her hand, according to the report.
 
"I asked Ms. Duggan to hand me the pills and she gave me 1 Xanax," Fritts wrote. "I asked Ms. Duggan to step out of the vehicle, at which time she tried to put (the) pills down her pants and under the driver's seat."
 
After getting Duggan out of the car, another officer saw that Duggan was attempting to swallow an object, according to the report. Police then removed about 24 Xanax and five promethazine pills from the woman's mouth, Fritts wrote, noting that officers also found nine more Xanax and three promethazine pills in the driver's seat and floor board.
 
"Upon speaking with Latonda Hughes, she was chewing and trying to swallow while speaking to me," Fritts wrote. "She had (an) Orange chalky residue in her teeth and around her lips consistent with a methadone wafer."
 
Police found 11 Xanax and five promethazine pills in Hughes' jacket pocket and "small orange pieces consistent with a Methadone wafer," according to Fritts in the report.
 
Three empty methadone bottles were also found in the vehicle.
 
Hughes had an outstanding warrant out of Loudon County for negligent homicide, Fritts wrote.
 
Hughes was charged with manufacture/sell/delivery/resale of a Schedule IV substance, tampering/fabricating with evidence, simple possession/casual exchange and negligent homicide and held on $64,000 bond.
 
Duggan was charged with manufacture/sell/delivery/resale of a Schedule II substance, tampering with evidence, driving on a revoked/suspended license and simple possession/casual exchange and released on $34,000 bond.
 
Man charged with assault
 
A Philadelphia man was taken into custody last week after getting into an altercation over an employment issue.
 
Responding to a call of a domestic assault in the 5200 block of Foshee Road, Loudon County Sheriff's Office Deputy Lance Anderson spoke with a woman, who said Kenneth Doyle Smith, 55, Philadelphia, began arguing over his employment after arriving after work, according to the arrest report.
 
"The victim stated during the argument the (man) grabbed the victim's arm and hit her twice in the face with a closed fist," Anderson wrote, noting that he saw bruising on the woman's forearm, a mark on her right cheek and another mark on her left cheek. The woman also had a bloodshot left eye, according to Anderson.
 
Smith fled from the residence before police arrived.
 
About 8:35 p.m. that day, Anderson and another deputy noticed a red Ford F-150 in the parking lot of a boat ramp along Highway 72 North matching the description of Smith's vehicle, according to the report. After stopping the truck, police found a loaded handgun in Smith's front right pocket and a loaded handgun on the driver's side door.
 
Smith was charged with domestic assault-misdemeanor and released on $1,000 bond.
 
Jan. 28
 
• Nancy Jane Rogers, 64, Maryville, was charged with violation of probation and released on $2,000 bond.
 
• April Gail Taylor, 37, Loudon, was charged with violation of probation and held without bond.
 
• Nathan Brandon Underwood, 27, Loudon, was charged with criminal trespass and released on $2,000 bond.
 
• Becky Juanita Viars, 46, Loudon, was charged with attachment-juvenile court and held on $500 bond.
 
Jan. 29
 
• Tabatha Michelle Decker, 34, Lenoir City, was charged with driving on a revoked license and held without bond.
 
• Alicia Ann Taylor, 34, Greenback, was charged with attachment-juvenile court and held on $150 bond.
 
• Coy Lee Best, 29, Friendsville, was charged with theft under $500 and released on $2,000 bond. Responding to a call of a shoplifter at a retail store in Lenoir City, police spoke with loss prevention employees, who said they saw Best pull store bags from his pocket and place multiple items from the shelves into the bags, according to the arrest report. Best also placed two boxes of toys into a cart along with the bagged items and left the store without paying for the merchandise, according to police. The estimated value of the items was $498.42.
 
• Dylan Curtis Ferguson, 22, Lenoir City, was charged with failure to appear-general sessions and held without bond.
 
• Heather Yvonne Graham, 41, Loudon, was charged with failure to appear and held without bond.
 
• Melanie Leigh Hollis, 50, Loudon, was charged with criminal trespass and released on $2,000 bond.
 
Jan. 30
 
• Thomas William Ervin, 54, Loudon, was charged with driving under the influence and violation of implied consent and released on $2,000 bond.
 
• Augustin Lara Espinoza, 25, Sweetwater, was charged with driving on a revoked/suspended license and released on $1,000 bond.
 
• Cody M. Graves, 21, Maryville, was charged with criminal court capias and released on $7,000 bond.
 
• Gary Marquis Hampton, 26, Loudon, was charged with theft of property, reckless endangerment and evading arrest and held on $40,000 bond.
 
• Johnny Ray Kirkland, 24, Lenoir City, was charged with domestic assault-misdemeanor and released on $1,500 bond.
 
• Eric Scott Risley, 32, Loudon, was charged with failure to appear-general sessions and released on $1,000 bond.
 
Jan. 31
 
• Nicholas Allen Bahr, 23, Loudon, was charged with violation of probation and released on $1,000 bond.
 
• Jare Lyons Barkley, 50, Maryville, was charged with driving under the influence, possession of legend drugs, open container, violation of implied consent, simple possession/casual exchange and following too close and released on $8,000 bond.
 
• Bobby Lee Bell, 34, Chattanooga, was charged with theft over $500 and held without bond. Dispatched to a call of a theft at a retail store in Lenoir City, police spoke with a loss prevention employee, who said Bell was seen taking a shopping cart "full of unpaid merchandise" from a customer, according to the arrest report. Bell pushed the cart past the registers without paying and handed the cart off to Steven Eugene Brannan, 33, Blaine, who then left the store, according to police. Brannan was also charged with theft over $500 and held without bond. The value of the items was estimated at $856.59.
 
• Stephanie Nichole Buckner, 28, Sweetwater, was charged with failure to appear and released on $1,000 bond.
 
• Isaac Lamar Conner, 20, Hardin Valley, was charged with violation of probation and failure to appear and released without bond.
 
• Shelby Jonell Gentry, 22, Hardin Valley, was charged with violation of probation and failure to appear and released without bond.
 
• Nicole Ann Gibson, 27, Lenoir City, was charged with failure to appear and held on $4,000 bond.
 
• Jose Efrain Gonzalez-Cruz, 24, Lenoir City, was charged with driving under the influence, driving without a valid driver's license and violation of implied consent and released on $3,000 bond.
 
• Derek Todd Lawson, 32, Huntsville, was charged with driving under the influence and released on $3,000 bond.
 
• Katie Jane McKiddy, 36, Madisonville, was charged with violation of probation and held without bond.
 
• Walter Wuther Pond, 63, Loudon, was charged with driving under the influence and held on $2,000 bond.
 
• Jeanette Nicole Snapp, 48, Loudon, was charged with violation of probation, violation of interlock device and driving on a revoked/suspended license and held on $4,000 bond.
 
• David Eugene Turner, 58, Lenoir City, was charged with fugitive from justice and held without bond.
 
• Braden William Wiebe, 19, Knoxville, was charged with underage driving while intoxicated and violation of implied consent and held without bond.
 
Feb. 1
 
• Edith Rosetta Babb, 18, Lenoir City, was charged with domestic assault-misdemeanor and released on $1,000 bond. Responding to a call of domestic violence in the 6300 block of White Wing Road, LCSO Deputy Brian Smith spoke with a woman, who said she and Babb got into an argument about how the woman's boyfriend treats her, according to the arrest report. The woman told deputies that she attempted to make Babb leave the room. Smith wrote that he didn't notice any marks on either woman, but determined that Babb was the primary aggressor.
 
• Scottie Lee Denton, 31, Knoxville, was charged with violation of probation and held without bond.
 
• Jordan Michael Hardin, 20, Loudon, was charged with driving on a revoked/suspended license and held without bond.
 
• Larry Allen Horton, 31, Knoxville, was charged with failure to appear-general sessions and held without bond.
 
• Johnny Mark Hall, 25, Harriman, was charged with violation of probation and released on $1,000 bond.
 
• Charles John Hatcher, 31, Maryville, was charged with criminal trespass and theft under $500 and released on $4,000 bond. Loss prevention personnel at a retail store saw Hatcher take a universal product code label off a toy car, which was valued at $6.95, and place the label onto a remote control car costing $54.97, according to the arrest report. Hatcher went through the self-checkout line and only paid $6.95.
 
• Rock Allen Kennedy, 29, homeless, was charged with two counts of failure to appear-general sessions and held on $10,000 bond.
 
• Stephanie Jesse Rutledge, 25, Lenoir City, was charged with public intoxication and released on $1,000 bond. Responding to a call of a reckless driver on Interstate 75 South, LCSO Deputy Kenny Palmer followed the driver of the vehicle onto U.S. Highway 321 and Town Creek Parkway, according to the arrest report. The vehicle swerved into the middle of the road, and Palmer pulled over the driver, Jared Coatney, at Harrison Avenue. Coatney was arrested for driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license. Palmer wrote in the report that he found a passenger, Rutledge, was passed out when he approached the vehicle. "I had Ms. Rutledge to wake up at which time I observed she appeared to be under the influence," Palmer wrote. "I asked Ms. Rutledge if she was OK, at which time she stated she had diabetes and she thought her sugar was low." Emergency personnel ran a check on Rutledge and reported that the woman's sugar level "was fine and (emergency officials) did not have any reason to transport her," according to Palmer. Rutledge displayed signs of intoxication, and she told police she had taken two Suboxone, Palmer wrote.
 
• Jared Anthony Coatney, 26, Lenoir City, was charged with driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license and released on $3,000 bond.
 
Feb. 2
 
• Anthony Lee Hood, 26, Sweetwater, was charged with driving under the influence and violation of implied consent and released on $2,500 bond.
 
• Jeremy Lamont Kerr, 39, Lenoir City, was charged with contempt of court and held on $297 bond.
 
• Carol Ann Markowski, 58, homeless, was charged with domestic assault-misdemeanor and held on $2,000 bond. Dispatched to a driver assist call on Interstate 75 at mile marker 75, police arrived in the middle of a verbal dispute between Markowski and a man, according to the arrest report. Both individuals were separated, and police interviewed the couple, according to the report. "The (man) was complaining of a hand injury of which there was still fresh blood on his hand and visible bite marks on his right little finger," Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Ryan Smith wrote in the report. Markowski admitted to police that she bit the man's hand.
 
• Geneva Ann Sargent, 30, Kingston, was charged with theft under $500 and held without bond.
 
Feb. 3
 
• Michael Lance Courtney, 46, Lenoir City, was charged with violation of bond restriction and held without bond.
 
• Shelby Jessica Davis, 22, Tellico Plains, was charged with failure to appear and held without bond.
 
• Brian Wayne Mendenhall, 28, Loudon, was charged with violation of probation and released on $30,000 bond.
 
• Barkley Blair Wiseman, 33, Loudon, was charged with driving under the influence and held on $2,000 bond.
 
Feb. 4
 
• Debra Kay Bailey, 57, Strawberry Plains, was charged with driving on a suspended license and held without bond.
 
• Christopher Allen Davis, 29, Maryville, was charged with contempt of court and held on $1,500 bond.
 
• Whitney Alison Washington, 27, Knoxville, was charged with driving under the influence, aggravated assault and resisting arresting and held without bond.
 
• Kaleigh Janee Collins, 22, Lenoir City, was charged with public intoxication and released on $1,000 bond.
 
• Tony Curtis Johnson, 27, Lenoir City, was charged with reckless driving and evading arrest and released on $6,000 bond.
 
• Heather Ann Newman, 28, Lenoir City, was charged with pawned/conveyed rental property and released on $1,000 bond.
 
• William Shane Roberts, 34, Lenoir City, was charged with failure to appear and driving on a revoked license and released on $4,000 bond.
 
Feb. 5
 
• Donnie Bo Barker, 26, Greenback, was charged with theft over $500 and held on $5,000 bond.
 
• Marcia Anne Brown, 55, Loudon, was charged with failure to appear-general sessions and released on $2,000 bond.
 
• Miranda Gail Byrd, 27, Greenback, was charge with possession of drug paraphernalia and theft of property and held on $6,000 bond.
 
• Victor Kenneth Falk, 48, Lenoir City, was charged with public intoxication and released on $1,000 bond.
 
• Justin Allen Fowler, 32, Lenoir City, was charged with failure to appear-general sessions and released on $1,000 bond.
 
• Joseph Alexander Godfrey, 33, Knoxville, was charged with driving on a revoked/suspended license and released on $2,000 bond.
 
• Sherry Fields Greenwald, 63, Lenoir City, was charged with criminal trespass and theft under $500 and held on $4,000 bond.
 
• Jose Cisneros Guzman, 27, Lenoir City, was charged with driving under the influence and released without bond.
 
• Gwendlyn H. Heiple, 57, Loudon, was charged with failure to appear-general sessions and released on $2,000 bond.
 
• Melody Renee Idol, 23, Lenoir City, was charged with manufacture/sell/delivery/resale of a Schedule II substance and held on $15,000 bond. Observing a green Honda Accord traveling 30 mph in a 15 mph school zone during restricted hours, police stopped the vehicle and conducted a K-9 search, according to the arrest report. During the search, police found a clear rock-like substance, a needle and multiple empty baggies in Idol's purse, according to the report. The substance tested positive for methamphetamine, and the drugs weighed about 0.5 grams.
 
• Angelia Marie Mayo, 31, Harriman, was charged with failure to appear-general sessions and released on $5,000 bond.
 
• Sara Marie Moore, 26, Lenoir City, was charged with driving on a revoked/suspended license and released without bond.
 
• Noah Charles Simpson, 18, Philadelphia, was charged with domestic assault-misdemeanor and released on $1,000 bond.
 
Feb. 6
 
• Jorge Luis Abrego, 22, Loudon, was charged with domestic assault-misdemeanor and violation of probation-second offense and held on $4,500 bond.
 
• Jeremy Allen Coleman, 25, Rockwood, was charged with theft of property and held on $20,000 bond. A man's Ford F-250 was parked at a residence in the 600 block of West 6th Avenue in Lenoir City when Coleman got into the pickup, opened the steering wheel column cover, started the vehicle with a screwdriver and drove away, according to the arrest report. Later that day, hikers found the truck near a lake off Jackson Bend Road. When officers arrived on the scene, Coleman was still in the driver's seat and attempted to drive away, but the truck was stuck in the mud, according to the report. Officers then removed Coleman from the driver's seat and placed him under arrest. Police reported "significant damage" to the truck valued at $7,500.
 
• Johnathan Morgan Elrod, 25, Greenback, was charged with driving on a revoked/suspended license, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of simple possession/casual exchange and held on $8,000 bond. Spotting a blue Volvo going 37 mph in a 50 mph zone on Highway 411, LCSO Deputy Kevin Dailey noticed that the car's registration lights were not working, according to the arrest report. Dailey spoke with the driver, Elrod, who refused consent to search the vehicle, according to the report. After a K-9 unit gave a positive alert to the car, police conducted a search and found two syringes, a burnt spoon, one Suboxone strip and a white pill believed to be promethazine, Dailey wrote. "Mr. Elrod advised all of it was his where he also admitted that he had took approximately 5 grams of Meth when he observed my cruiser behind him," Dailey wrote. Emergency medical personnel responded for a possible overdose, according to the report.
 
• Joshua Manuel Frase, 39, Lenoir City, was charged with driving on a revoked/suspended license and released without bond.
 
• Rodney Stuart Grugin, 26, Lenoir City, was charged with driving under the influence and violation of implied consent and released on $2,000 bond.
 
• Juan Carlos Martinez, 26, Loudon, was charged with domestic assault-felony and held on $15,000 bond. Responding to a call of a domestic assault in the 900 block of Maremont Parkway, Loudon Police Officer Jonathan Yates spoke with a woman, who said she and Martinez got into an physical altercation and was "visibly upset, crying and had welts on her neck," according to the arrest report. The woman told police that Martinez threw her to the ground and was choking her, Yates wrote. "She also states that while he held her down, Martinez held a knife to her and threatened to kill her," according to Yates. "Martinez also took her cell phone and therefore eliminated any possibility of her calling for help." The dispute took place at the home of the woman's father, Yates wrote. Police could not immediately locate Martinez but found and arrested him two days later.
 
• Jeanette Nicole Snapp, 48, Loudon, was charged with simple possession/casual exchange, driving on a revoked/suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia and released on $8,000 bond.
 
Feb. 7
 
• Jimmy Lynn Arden, 50, Lenoir City, was charged with failure to appear-general sessions and released on $1,000 bond.
 
• Charles Devon Charles, 21, Decatur, was charged with public intoxication and released without bond.
 
• Elizabeth Kay Crawley, 22, Lenoir City, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and released on $1,000 bond. Seeing a silver Dodge Durango run through a stop sign at the intersection of Highway 411 and North Trigonia Road, LCSO Deputy Cody Fritts noticed that the passenger, Crawley, appeared "very nervous," according to the arrest report. "She could not be still and kept moving around in her seat," Fritts wrote. "Upon speaking with Ms. Crawley, I noticed a bulge under her shirt around her belt line." Crawley pulled out a baggie containing four syringes, two burnt spoons and multiple pieces of cotton.
 
• Dwayne Edward Hubbard, 41, Lenoir City, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and simple possession/casual exchange and held on $1,000 bond.
 
• Tabitha Alyssa Johnson, 26, Lenoir City, was charged with simple possession/casual exchange and possession of drug paraphernalia and released on $4,000 bond.
 
• Joseph Robinson, 23, Knoxville, was charged with driving on a revoked/suspended license and released on $1,000 bond.
 
• John Russell Stone, 19, Philadelphia, was charged with simple possession/casual exchange and possession of drug paraphernalia and released on $2,000 bond.
 
Feb. 8
 
• Richard Lee Brotherton, 41, Philadelphia, was charged with failure to appear-general sessions and held without bond.
 
• Juan Daniel Espinoza, 19, Loudon, was charged with vandalism and released on $1,000 bond.
 
• Justin Danny Kelley, 33, Lenoir City, was charged with failure to appear-general sessions and held on $4,000 bond.
 
• Christopher Lee Raper, 46, Lenoir City, was charged with promotion of methamphetamine manufacture and held without bond.
 
• Brooks Ray Richardson, 23, Knoxville, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and released on $2,000 bond. Dispatched to a call of a vehicle that was swerving on Interstate 75 North, LCSO Deputy Jamie Ketner spoke with the driver, Richardson, who displayed signs of intoxication, according to the arrest report. After getting verbal consent to search the vehicle, Ketner found a marijuana pipe under the driver's seat, according to the report. "Mr. Richardson stated that he forgot it was there," Ketner wrote.
 
• Steven Michael Zychowicz, 37, Vonore, was charged with domestic assault-misdemeanor and held on $2,000 bond.

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2/15/16