KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said seven people in total were arrested as part of a new initiative meant to stop a pipeline of illegal drugs between Detroit and Knoxville, named the "313 Initiative."
They said as part of the initiative, they started targeting individuals and groups from the Detroit area. They said as part of the investigation, they learned that Rashawn Jones was a supplier of drugs in Knoxville.
They said last week, the Detroit Police Department reached out to the Knoxville Police Department about Jones' possible location. They said he was also being investigated in Knoxville as part of a felony assault.
On Feb. 9, they said authorities found and arrested Jones on a warrant out of Knox County for violating probation. They said he is also facing gun charges in Detroit related to the arrest.
As part of the investigation, authorities said they also started working in the Merchant Drive area. As part of that investigation, they said they pulled over a car which later led to authorities getting a search warrant for a home on Central Avenue Pike.
In the home, they said they found heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, marijuana, prescription drugs and guns. They said six people were taken into custody and booked into the Knox Co. Jail after the search. They are facing several drug charges, and many of them are also facing gun charges.
Those people are listed below.
- Ronald Payne-Myles, 34, from Detroit
- Noah Cain Coarsey, 22, from Knoxville
- Kyle Louis Brinson, 38, from Rochester, NY
- Johnny Keith Kramer, 38, from Knoxville
- Amia Terry Packer, 20, from Detroit
- Caitlin Rowell, 27, from Detroit