Pubdate: Sun, 19 Jun 2005
Source: Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN)
Copyright: 2005 The Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.
Contact:  http://www.knoxnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/226
Author:  Bryan Mitchell
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States)

DEPUTY ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES

Cocke County Lawman, One Other Charged

Two men, including a Cocke County sheriff's deputy, face drug charges after 
a joint federal and state investigation led to the arrests Friday, 
authorities said.

Authorities arrested Larry Joe Dodgin and Jeremy Scott Jones, said R. Joe 
Clark, special agent in charge of the Knoxville office of the FBI.

Dodgin, 26, a Cocke County Sheriff's Department deputy, is charged with 
possession with intent to distribute, Clark said. He allegedly had 3 
kilograms of cocaine in his possession at the time of his arrest, according 
to the FBI.

Jones, 26, is charged with conspiracy to distribute, Clark said.

The men are scheduled to appear before Federal Magistrate Judge Dennis H. 
Inman on Monday in Greeneville, Clark said.

The arrest of a deputy surprised Cocke County Sheriff D.C. Ramsey.

Ramsey said he was hauling cattle Friday when Cocke County Sheriff's 
Department Detective Derrick Woods contacted him about the arrest.

Woods told Ramsey that agents who arrested Dodgin had given him the key to 
Dodgin's cruiser.

Ramsey said he had few additional details.

"If he was selling drugs, they should have arrested him," the sheriff said.

The detective, who lives near Dodgin in the Parrottsville community, said 
he was asked by Cocke County's 911 dispatch center to pick up the keys 
between 8 and 9 p.m.

"The agents had been at the home for some time. They didn't tell me 
anything, and I wasn't in a position to ask them any questions," Woods said 
Saturday.

Ramsey said Jones and Dodgin were being held at the Washington County 
Detention Facility in Jonesborough, Tenn.

The arrests were the result of a joint investigation by the FBI, the 
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Clark said.

Woods said the arrest is a blow to all of Cocke County.

"I hate this. ... This is a hard hit on us. I don't know what he (Dodgin) 
got himself into, but he knew what he was doing. He's in law enforcement. 
Wrong's wrong and right's right."

The detective said the Cocke County Sheriff's Department has tried to do 
progressive things in recent years.

"We've been real successful, a lot of things need to be done and hopefully 
we're headed in that direction," he said. "It's just like a batch of 
apples: you're going to get a bad one, I just didn't realize how bad."
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