Two Arrested, 150+ Pounds of Marijuana Seized in Crossville Operation

TBI Information:
CHATTANOOGA – A joint operation by several law enforcement agencies has resulted in the arrest of two individuals accused of trafficking a large amount of marijuana into Tennessee.

On Thursday, authorities received information about a scheduled delivery to the Crossville Municipal Airport. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers discovered a small plane on the tarmac and its pilot, Dennis Howard Bonneau (DOB 12-20-70). In searching the plane, authorities discovered approximately 66 pounds of pharmaceutical grade marijuana inside the aircraft. Agents also encountered a woman inside the airport’s lobby, identified as Erin Elizabeth Reed (DOB 3-7-83), who was in possession of a bag containing approximately 90 pounds of pharmaceutical grade marijuana, along with edible marijuana products.

Agents arrested Bonneau, of Weston, Florida, and Reed, of Arcata, California, and charged each with one count of Manufacturing, Delivery, or Sale of Schedule VI. Authorities subsequently booked each into the Cumberland County Jail, where – at the time of this release – they were each being held on $500,000 bond.

Agencies participating in this operation included the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Drug Investigation Division, the Crossville Police Department, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, the Middle Tennessee High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations.

Dennis Howard Bonneau

Erin Elizabeth Reed 

Tennessee Highway Patrol Conducts Cookeville Traffic Stop, Locates 28 Pounds of Marijuana

Press release from THP: Search Reveals 18 Vacuum Sealed Packages of Marijuana

COOKEVILLE - On 7/12/17 Trooper Al Seitner of the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Cookeville District stopped a vehicle in Putnam County for following another vehicle too closely. The driver, 25-year-old Jonathan Kossa of Cookeville, Tennessee appeared extremely nervous for a simple traffic violation. While talking to Kossa, Trooper Seitner observed a large cardboard box in the back seat of the vehicle. When asked what was in the box, Kossa said he did not know as he was transporting the box for his roommate.

Consent to search the vehicle was requested and Kossa denied. Trooper Seitner requested K-9 assistance from the Cookeville Police Department. Their K-9 made a positive alert on the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed 18 vacuum sealed packages of marijuana (approximately 28 lbs) inside the cardboard box.

Kossa was arrested for possession of Schedule VI narcotics for manufacture, sale and delivery. 

Could a 6th District US Congressional challenger be indicted on drug related charges?

A Genesis Road resident, identified as the property owner of a location where a large indoor marijuana growing operation was found May 13 is also currently a candidate for a 6th district US Congress seat.

A press release issued by the Crossville Police Department on May 16 states that a search warrant was executed at a property located at 16536 Genesis Road following a multi-agency joint narcotics undercover operation. The property is owned by Florence “Flo” Matheson who is a current democratic candidate for the seat currently held by US Representative Diane Black. Matheson previously ran for the 25th district state representative seat against Cameron Sexton in 2012.

According to the press release concerning the drug operation, evidence is expected to be presented against Matheson seeking an indictment from the Cumberland County grand jury. Matheson is identified as the property's owner and primary resident in the press release as well as state property records. A drug bust earlier in the month was also made at a property owned by Ms. Matheson located on E. First St.

An indictment is also sought against Stephen M. Harrington who is currently on probation from previous charges.

Information online from the website votesmart.org indicates Matheson was born in 1938 in Atlantic City NJ and has three children. The site lists previous jobs for Matheson including an English teacher in New York, a probation officer in the state of Florida, a riding instructor and owner of Pampered Pets in Crossville.  

Joint narcotics operation closes Marijuana indoor growing operation Friday afternoon

A sting of law enforcmenet vehicles including Crossville police and Cumberland Co. Sheriff's vehicles including the city's SWAT van headed out Genesis Road this afternoon.  Here is the story behind it. 

PRESS RELEASE:

May 13, 2016
A joint narcotics operation is currently underway at 16536 Genesis Road, in Cumberland County, TN. Crossville Police Department Narcotics Detectives are working together with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, 13th Judicial Drug Task Force the HIDTA / TBI Drug Task Force and the Office of the District Attorney General in the execution of a search warrant at an indoor Marijuana cultivation operation.

This search warrant comes after in-depth undercover operations led to the discovery of the operation of an indoor grow. This is the second grow operation found by Crossville Narcotics Detectives, from Stephen Michael Harrington, who was indicted and sentenced in Criminal Court, in 2015, for manufacture of marijuana in an amount of over 20 plants, at an East First Street residence. Currently serving 3 years of Supervised Probation, he is again operating a Marijuana grow house. Harrington’s previous arrest date was, coincidentally one year ago, on May 13, 2015.

As the search of the property is currently on-going, no further information is available as to the amount of plants and other items that will be discovered. Following the completed execution of this search warrant, a full press release will go out on May 16, 2016.