According to law enforcement officers with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the 18th Judicial Drug Task Force from Sumner County, four alleged gang members were arrested at the Somatel Motel in Goodlettsville. The incident happened on Oct. 10 following an investigation that spanned several months.
Authorities allege that the four had been selling drugs in Middle Tennessee for several months. They allegedly sold them in public places such as shopping malls and parking lots. Officers report that they were able to take the men into custody without any incidents.
When the men were taken into custody, the officers state that they found multiple types of drugs. They reportedly found 12.5 grams of heroin, 100 oxymorphone pills and $6,000. Police claim that the four are members of the Piru Bloods, a gang that originated in California. One man has an outstanding warrant for a parole violation from Detroit. In addition to the drug sales charges, all four men were also charged with auto theft because they did not return a car to Avis after renting it.
Criminal charges are not evidence of guilt. All people who are charged with crimes have the right to assert strong defenses under the Constitution. If there are issues with the manner in which a stop, search or seizure was conducted, then an experienced criminal defense attorney may file motions challenging the admissibility of the evidence against their clients. For example, if the police did not secure a warrant, a lawyer may be able to win suppression of all of the evidence that the officers found, leading to a likely dismissal of the drug charges.
Source: WKRN, “4 alleged gang members arrested as drug investigation ends at Goodlettsville motel,” Andy Cordan, Oct. 12, 2017
