Local man arrested for identity

Local man arrested for identity theft

A Lenoir City man was arrested Feb. 3 after the credit card of an elderly dementia patient he had previously been in contact with was stolen and used without permission.

Joseph Antonio Yunis, 31, is accused of taking a credit card from a patient’s room at the rehabilitation center where he worked as a custodian in Knoxville. Between July and November, Yunis used the credit card to make more than $7,000 worth of purchases.

The charges were made known Jan. 4 to Lenoir City Police Department when a relative of the patient reported the crime. He said the patient had been diagnosed with dementia and was unable to leave the facility since being admitted in 2018. Since several transactions were made in person, it was clear somebody else was using the card, the relative reported.

Video surveillance footage from a local store where a purchase had been made allowed officers to identify Yunis. Loudon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Matthew Hicks arrested Yunis.

Yunis was charged with four counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, identity theft and financial exploitation of an elderly adult and released on $6,000 bond.

Altered license leads to chargesA Knoxville man faces numerous charges after a law enforcement officer noticed Feb. 8 that vehicle license plates had been tampered.

Blount County Sheriff’s Office Deputy B. Peagler was patrolling in Loudon County as part of a mutual aid request by the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office when he saw a disabled vehicle on an interstate entrance ramp. As he went to offer aid, he saw that the license plate, placed in the rear window, had been altered with electric tape so that a “C” read as an “0.”

Peagler then identified the driver of the vehicle, Drew Mason, 38, and found his driving privileges had been suspended.

After speaking with Mason about firearm cases he noticed in the back of the car, Peagler learned Mason had been convicted of four felonies. Peagler subsequently arrested Mason and searched the car, recovering a .22 caliber rifle, a glass pipe with narcotic residue, a baggie containing heroin and a crowbar believed to be used for offenses and burglary.

Upon searching Mason after his arrival at Loudon County Jail, officers also found .5 grams of methamphetamine and fentanyl on him, as well as a cut straw.

Mason was charged with contraband in penal institution, manufacture, sell, delivery, resale of a Schedule I substance, simple possession/casual exchange, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, manufacturing, delivery, sale or possession of meth, convicted felon in possession of firearm, altering, falsifying or forging auto title and driving on revoked/suspended license and held on $85,000 bond.

Jan. 31

• Johnathan Blaine Feezell, 26, Loudon, was charged with two counts of criminal trespass and failure to appear-general sessions and released on $3,000 bond.

• Peggy Sue Gallegos, 41, Lenoir City, was charged with theft of property and released on $10,000 bond.

• Chad Obrian Garrett, 42, Nashville, was charged with violation of order of protection/restraining order and financial responsibility law and released on $2,000 bond.

• Claudine Jane Griffin, 68, homeless, was charged with 18 counts of worthless checks and three counts of capias-general sessions and held on $29,000 bond.

• Gordon Dale Narmore, 41, Philadelphia, was charged with domestic assault and simple possession/casual exchange and released on $2,000 bond.

• Makaila Hope Robinson, 20, Knoxville, was charged with theft of property, manufacturing, delivery, sale or possession of meth and violation of probation and held without bond.

• Tyler Matthew Venatta, 31, Knoxville, was charged with capias-general sessions and released on $1,000 bond.

• Henry John Wunschel Jr., 61, Loudon, was charged with evading arrest, driving under the influence and violation of implied consent and released on $10,000 bond.

Feb. 1

• Carrie Deann Arden, 46, Philadelphia, was charged with driving on revoked/suspended license and released on $1,000 bond.

• Michael Jerome Byrd, 48, Lenoir City, was charged with two counts of simple possession/casual exchange and released on $3,000 bond.

• Jason Nicholas-Henry Ford, 19, Lenoir City, was charged with three counts of capias-general sessions and released on $28,000 bond.

• Traci Elaine Givens, 43, Rockwood, was charged with violation of probation and released on $2,000 bond.

• Douglas Roger Wilson, 36, Lenoir City, was charged with contraband in penal institution, simple possession/casual exchange, manufacturing, delivery, sale or possession of meth, capias-general sessions and capias-municipal court and held on $17,000 bond.

• Jaquan Jarrod Wright, 31, Brooklyn, N.Y., was charged with capias-general sessions and held on $120,000 bond.

Feb. 2

• Charles Danny Cooper, 56, Kingston, was charged with capias-general sessions and held on $12,000 bond.

• Morgan Whitney Ferguson, 36, Morristown, was charged with assisting other agency and released without bond.

• Misty Leann Hopson, 41, Rocky Top, was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, custodial interference, harboring or hiding a runaway child, contraband in penal institution, simple possession/casual exchange, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a revoked license and released on $25,000 bond.

• Erik Lara Gallardo, 28, Loudon, was charged with simple possession/casual exchange and released on $1,000 bond.

Feb. 3

• Jason Wayne Bivens, 34, Madisonville, was charged with violation of probation and released on $2,000 bond.

• Amanda Tonette Pride, 34, Knoxville, was charged with two counts of capias-general sessions and released on $1,000 bond.

• Kenneth George Shepherd, 31, Sweetwater, was charged with violation of probation and held on $3,000 bond.

• Daniel Walter Summers, 62, Kingston, was charged with failure to appear-criminal court and released on $8,000 bond.

• Juan Luis Villanugua-Abalos, 26, Lenoir City, was charged with violation of order of protection/restraining order and released on $1,000 bond.

Feb. 4

• Brian James Frye, 36, Winchester, was charged with capias-general sessions and held on $4,000 bond.

• Jamie Lynn Nelson, 48, Lenoir City, was charged with contraband in penal institution, public intoxication and two counts of manufacturing, delivery, sale or possession of meth and held on $10,500 bond.

• Dawn Marie Powell, 43, Lenoir City, was charged with violation of probation, capias-criminal court and capias-municipal court and held on $7,000 bond.

• Holly Michelle Wilkins, 38, Kingston, was charged with theft of property and released on $2,000 bond.

Feb. 5

• Dalton Glenn Blevins, 25, Alcoa, was charged with violation of probation and capias-municipal court and held on $10,600 bond.

• David Adam Bradford, 39, Lenoir City, was charged with violation of probation and failure to appear-municipal court and held on $1,400 bond.

• William Mark Green, 48, Rockwood, was charged with capias-municipal court and released on $400 bond.

• Brian Austin Presley, 35, Vonore, was charged with three counts of capias-general sessions and held on $2,000 bond.

• Robert Brian White Jr., 40, Maynardville, was charged with public intoxication and manufacturing, delivery, sale or possession of meth and held on $11,000 bond.

• Bradley Alexander Williams, 29, Loudon, was charged with assisting other agency and released without bond.

Feb. 6

• Chelsey Jo Coker, 25, Philadelphia, was charged with public intoxication and held on $1,000 bond.

• Varney Abrahima Kanneh, 38, Sweetwater, was charged with driving under the influence and released on $2,500 bond.

• Guy Victor Paris, 45, Sevierville, was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, custodial interference, harboring or hiding a runway child and failure to appear-general sessions and held on $30,000 bond.

Feb. 7

• Jeremy Hall, 31, Madison, was charged with assisting other agency and released without bond.

• Christopher H. Kauffman, 50, homeless, was charged with theft of property and released on $2,000 bond.

• James Gregory Seibolt, 71, Lenoir City, was charged with domestic assault and released on $1,000 bond.

Feb. 8

• Rowland Earl Moorer Jr., 33, Chattanooga, was charged with assisting other agency and released without bond.

• Erica Elizabeth Wheaton, 27, Athens, was charged with theft of property and released on $2,000 bond.

Feb. 9

• Courtney Darlene Brown, 36, Philadelphia, was charged with domestic assault and held without bond.

Feb. 10

• James Albert Allison, 58, Lenoir City, was charged with failure to appear-criminal court and released on $40,000 bond.

• Michael Shane Boyd, 46, Lenoir City, was charged with failure to appear-general sessions and released on $2,000 bond.

• Steven Hunter Breeden, 42, Clinton, was charged with attachment-juvenile court and held on $500 bond.

• Abraham Jacob Iqbal, 30, Lenoir City, was charged with aggravated assault and held without bond.

• Tiffany Nacole Long, 38, Knoxvile, was charged with violation of probation and held on $5,000 bond.

• Hubert Marquet Webb, 51, no residence, was charged with capias-general sessions and held on $10,000 bond.

Feb. 11

• Marco Antonio Aspiros, 31, homeless, was charged with public intoxication and held without bond.

• Rustin Lynn Key, 36, no residence, was charged with two counts of simple possession/casual exchange, driving under the influence, evading arrest, open container and driving without a valid license and held on $4,000 bond.

• Jason Lee Peeler, 41, Lenoir City, was charged with an attachment and held on $500 bond.

• Benjamin David Sledge, 30, Sweetwater, was charged with violation of probation and held on $2,500 bond.

Feb. 12

• Austin Eugene Jones, 22, Loudon, was charged with capias-general sessions and held on $2,000 bond.

• Billy Wayne Malone II, 31, Lenoir City, was charged with criminal trespass, possession of burglary tools, simple possession/casual exchange, possession of a handgun while under the influence, driving under the influence and violation of implied consent and held without bond.

• Rod Thomas Simpson, 36, Knoxville, was charged with theft of property and burglary and held on $10,000 bond.

• Dana Threase Whitney, 29, Colombus, Ohio, was charged with two counts of manufacture, sell, delivery, resale of a Schedule II substance, manufacture, sell, delivery, resale of a Schedule VI substance and lights required on motor vehicle and held without bond.

• David Ashley Yates, 39, Loudon, was charged with violation of order of protection/restraining order and held on $1,000 bond.

Feb. 13

• Terry Paul Johnson, 49, Rockwood, was charged with driving under the influence and violation of implied consent and held without bond.

• Christina Danielle Norris, 33, Lenoir City, was charged with domestic assault, criminal impersonation, simple possession/casual exchange and an attachment and held without bond.

Feb. 14

• Larry Christopher Keeton, 55, Loudon, was charged with domestic assault and held without bond.