A 35-year-old Tracy City man has been released on a $7,500 bond after being arrested in the Decherd Kroger parking lot on drug and theft charges.
Johnny Williams Stephens Jr., who goes by the nickname “Meatball,” is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts of possession of a schedule II substance and theft of property, according to jail and Decherd police reports.
He is to appear in Franklin County General Sessions Court on May 11.
Decherd police reports said the department’s investigations unit was working Thursday on recovering property that was reported stolen from Grundy County.
Detective Jody Bray and Sgt. Investigator Greg King received information that property stolen from a vehicle at a residence in Grundy County was being sold on Facebook Marketplace, reports said.
Investigators learned that a gathering to sell some of the stolen property was scheduled at the Kroger parking lot, reports said.
Bray approached suspects on foot when the property was produced by the driver of a vehicle, and King boxed in the suspect's vehicle, reports said.
Bray recovered the stolen property while King secured the passenger in the suspect’s vehicle, according to reports.
King conducted a weapons pat down of the passenger in the vehicle, Johnny “Meatball” Stephens, reports said.
Stephens stated he was carrying narcotics and was found to have a crystalline shard weighing about 4 grams of what is believed to be “ice” methamphetamine, reports said, adding that drug paraphernalia was also discovered in the vehicle.
Stephens claimed all stolen property, drugs and drug paraphernalia and stated the other subject was an unwitting participant, reports said.
The driver of the vehicle was questioned and released, reports said, adding that Stephens was taken to the Franklin County Jail and charged.
The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the vehicle burglary.
