Two Tennessee men face a slew of charges after authorities say they tossed packages onto Morgan County prison property that included 4 pounds of marijuana, fentanyl, tobacco, cellphones, charging cords and earpieces.
Lee Summerour, 55, of Murfreesboro, and John Washington Hooks, 52, have a May 27 court date in Morgan County on charges that include introduction into a penal institute, cocaine possession and sale and manufacture of fentanyl, warrants show.
In all, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction, they tossed 16 packages onto the Morgan County Correctional Complex property early May 15 as authorities secretly watched, warrants state.
Prison officers had become suspicious last month after seeing a "suspicious vehicle" often going behind the facility, according to a news release from TDOC's Robert Reburn.
"Upon further investigation, it was determined the vehicle belonged to the wife of an inmate currently housed at (the prison). Enhanced surveillance of the area was initiated as part of the investigation," the release states.
Shortly before 6 a.m. May 15, while it was still dark, a white Dodge Durango pulled into the parking lot of the Morgan County Drug Court, which is on Wartburg complex property. It backed into a parking space.
Summerour and Hooks got out. Minutes later they could be seen walking on the complex perimeter road. They threw the packages onto prison property, authorities allege.
Morgan County Sheriff's Office personnel, including a K-9 officer, and prison officers moved in and arrested them. They were taken to the county jail. The drug dog hit on the presence of narcotics, and a search of the vehicle revealed a small packet of cocaine rock and glass pipes.
The packages themselves contained a wealth of contraband, warrants state: the 4 pounds of marijuana, 2.62 pounds of tobacco, 56 cell phones, almost 37 grams of fentanyl, 57 charges, a battery, 19 earpieces, 16 Sim tools and a lockback knife.
