A federal grand jury has issued a superseding indictment against two men from Nashville, Tennessee, for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute approximately five pounds of methamphetamine. This announcement was made by United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The indictment names Brian Antonio Dotson, 45, and Lavantrez Zarqua Johnson, 28, both residents of Nashville. Both individuals are charged with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Additionally, Johnson faces charges for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, while Dotson is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Latest TN News
The arrests took place on May 4, 2023, during an operation conducted by the Metro Nashville Police Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Detectives from the Metro Nashville Police Department had arranged to purchase five pounds of methamphetamine from Dotson. Before the transaction, Dotson met with Johnson to obtain the methamphetamine. The two then drove separately to the location where the exchange was to occur. Officers arrested Dotson at the scene and a search of his vehicle revealed five pounds of methamphetamine and two firearms.
Following Dotson’s arrest, officers attempted to detain Johnson, who fled in his vehicle. Despite deploying a spike strip that punctured his tires, Johnson managed to escape temporarily. During his flight, he discarded a bag which was later recovered by officers; it contained three plastic bags filled with a substance identified as cocaine. Johnson was apprehended a few miles away, and officers discovered a four-year-old child in his vehicle. Both Dotson and Johnson are currently held in federal custody.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Herbert L. Bunton III is handling the prosecution.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
For more information, please visit the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Source: Read Original Release
Arrests in Murfreesboro and Texas for Child Pornography
The Murfreesboro Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit arrested Edward Van Epps for child pornography, while a collaborative effort with Homeland Security led to the arrest of Juan Gabriel Mendoza in Texas, dismantling a potential child pornography ring.