Ten people face arraignment after they were indicted on narcotics charges as a result of the ongoing undercover drug-buying operations conducted by local authorities.
The recent roundup of suspects includes four cases where drugs were allegedly obtained through TennCare and then sold for a profit.
Included in those charged with fraudulently obtaining TennCare benefits were Becky Renee Prater, who is also charged with two counts of delivery of Oxycodone; Andrea Denea Reeves Meeks, also charged with delivery of Oxycodone, Alprazolam and a counterfeit substance; Robin Chiffon Guzman Johnson and Martha Sue Lara, also charged with delivery of hydrocodone, and Sherry Lynn Clark, also charged with delivery of hydrocodone.
They are joined in the roundup by Amy Nicole Tibbetts, who was indicted for fraudulently obtaining drugs; Marty Ray Bouldin and Tommy Lynn Bouldin, indicted for delivery of hydrocodone; Tommy Lynn Bouldin and Kevin Lee Fralix, indicted for delivery of amphetamine, and Amanda Lanette Knowles, indicted for delivery of meth and a counterfeit substance.
The indictments come as part of ongoing operations conducted locally by the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, McMinnville Police Department, and District Attorney’s office. As has become the custom, the suspects allegedly sold drugs to an undercover agent who was being monitored by law enforcement.
In the past, most drug charges brought by undercover buys here have ended in plea agreements due to the offenders being caught on tape selling the drugs. In the case of offenders selling drugs paid for by taxpayers through TennCare, those entering plea agreements are usually ordered to surrender their TennCare benefits while serving jail time and while on probation. However, rules do not prevent the offenders from re-applying for TennCare benefits after their probation is over.
The most recent roundup of suspects was a quiet operation carried out over several days instead of the normal one-day roundup where lawmen flood the area looking for those indicted hoping to catch them by surprise.