United States Drug Enforcement Administration

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - A single count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Nashville, Tennessee last week was unsealed today, charging 24 defendants with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distributing diverted prescription pills, announced David Rivera, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

The diverted pills contained the controlled substances Oxycodone, Hydromorphone, Oxymorphone, and Buprenorphine. The respective brand names for the pills containing those controlled substances are Roxicodone, Dilaudid, Opana, Oxymorphone, and Subutex.

“The diversion and abuse of prescription drugs in Tennessee is presently the number one drug threat in the state,” said Michael Stanfill, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of DEA in Tennessee. “This investigation is an excellent example of federal, state, and local agencies combining resources to attack this issue.”

“Prescription drug abuse and diversion is an epidemic facing our nation,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney David Rivera. “The vast number of people addicted to painkillers and the increasing number of overdose deaths attributable to these illegally obtained drugs is unacceptable. We must continue to combine the resources of our law enforcement agencies and engage our communities to reduce the number of illicit pills available to the public.”

Local, state and federal law enforcement officers, this morning, began arresting those named in the indictment and were executing nine federal search warrants in connection with the investigation.

Those charged in the indictment are:

1. Kenneth Edward Stafford, 26, of Lebanon, Tenn;
2. Kacee Anne Breeden, 28, of Lebanon, Tenn;
3. Rashad Woodside a/k/a “Goma,” 37, of North Miami, Florida
4. Nicholas Adam Young a/k/a “Nick,” 26, of Lebanon, Tenn;
5. Michael Jordan a/k/a “Billy Bob,” 26, of Watertown, Tenn;
6. Ronnie Dustin E. McCulloch a/k/a “Dustin,” 24, of Watertown, Tenn;
7. Dereck Scott Weatherspoon, 27, of Mt. Juliet, Tenn;
8. William Chad Nixon a/k/a “Chad,” 26, of Lebanon, Tenn;
9. Michael Chad Corley a/k/a “Chad,” 31, of Lebanon, Tenn;
10. Phillip Wayne Allen, 36, of Lebanon, Tenn;
11. Fletcher Denning, 22, of Mt. Juliet, Tenn;
12. Amanda Meyers, 28, of Lebanon, Tenn;
13. Tammy Bristow, 33, of Castalian Springs, Tenn;
14. Anthony Lee Collins, Jr. a/k/a “TJ” 27, of Lebanon, Tenn;
15. Marcy Jo Pickler, 32, of Lebanon, Tenn;
16. Kyle Oakley, 27, of Mt. Juliet, Tenn;
17. Amy Nichole Murphy, 34, of Lebanon, Tenn;
18. Caitlin Michelle Gibson a/k/a “Katie Bug,” 21, of Lebanon, Tenn;
19. James Lester Massey, 43, of Castalian Springs, Tenn;
20. Thomas Roberts, 41, of Lebanon, Tenn;
21. Robert Anthony Taylor a/k/a “Tony,” 27, of Lebanon, Tenn;
22. Sammie Lanette Crutcher, 28, of Lebanon, Tenn;
23. Peter Lewis, 31, of Lebanon, Tenn;
24. Ryan Moore a/k/a “Rhino,” 23, of Lebanon, Tenn;

The charged offense carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lebanon Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Mount Juliet Police Department, the Wilson County Sheriff’s Department, the Franklin Police Department, the Clarksville Police Department, and the Crossville Police Department, with assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service. The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent A. Hannafan.

An indictment is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The DEA encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.justthinktwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov.