We Buy Land and Homes-Scam Alert

We Buy Land and Homes posters have recently sprung up in the south end of the county--here's what to keep in mind to avoid getting ripped off or worse. In the video below, a lien or 'caveat' against property is shown to be like an expensive 'virus' which must be removed before a sale to a 'real' buyer can be finalized. 
The 'seller' failed to read a 'subject-to' clause in the contract--watch the video.

• An average individual in desperate need of cash may become a target of recent move-in smooth talking 'predators'... who are thrilled to profit from anyone's 'down and out' financial situation.
•  'Equity Skimming' is one of the most common ways used to rip you off -- it starts by the seller transferring the deed to the 'buyer'.
• At times, all the victim needs is a 'short term' loan leaving the original mortgage intact--after you receive a quick 'payment'...you may be notified to make payments to the alleged 'buyer' instead of the mortgage company you were formerly making payments to--the buyer who now has the deed to the property, may rent out the property instead of moving in--and now is getting money from you and the renter.
• The equity in your home can now be used to get 'home equity' loans or other forms of financing--or they can re-sell the property without paying off the outstanding mortgage.
• The scammer ultimately stops making payments on the mortgage, and allows the property to go into foreclosure since they never assumed liability for the mortgage.
• Another version of the scam is the buyer makes a verbal offer for your property and you accept it--a few days later you get a formal written contract--because you believe it is the same offer you agreed to, you simply sign on the dotted line without reading the 'fine print'--eventually you discover that the written contract is not the same as the verbal agreement--now you are entangled in a legal battle for months or years.
• There are several other ways 'fly by night' scammers use to cheat victims--a scammer in 2008 posed as an heir to a fortune and even convinced some area cops to 'retire' because he had promised them high paying security guard jobs--as it turned out, the 'smooth talking' drifter was a prison escapee from Michigan...who had used several 'promise to purchase' land agreements during a cross-country escapade, until he was finally captured in Arizona.

Sheriff Tommy Jones' 4 Year Report Card

Almost 4 years ago to the day, Sheriff Tommy Jones started in a life-changing meteoric rise: On 12/9/2014 he was appointed as interim Sheriff by the County Commissioners.

What seemed like at first, a 'wet behind the ears'
unknown twenty something, has made dramatic improvements to Monroe County Sheriff's Dept. that his critics never expected--since then, he has won two elections, and if he stays the course, may be unbeatable and will likely   *keep his job until he decides to retire, unless he really screws up--See "2022 Alijah Kensinger Missing Child Alert." It turned into a 19 hour search for a six year old that was sitting under a tree less than a mile behind the grandmother's house.

For the most part, Sheriff Jones has been able to side-step controversy--the first notable incident was brought to the public's attention by Eddie Manning, a deputy he had justly fired for planting evidence in 2015 and/or bringing contraband into the MCSD jail--In 2014, Manning was campaigning "in uniform" for Sheriff Bill Bivens in the Coker Creek Williams Market--before leaving the store I (MS) said  "Randy White is going to Win" ...(which he did)--soon after driving off, I saw Manning's patrol SUV in my rear view mirror 'inches from my back bumper' the entire two miles right up to my driveway...it was clearly an intimidation ploy. Manning was one 3 deputies that sued after getting fired and was the only one that was not awarded any monetary compensation. 

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The most unusual comment in the press briefing (shown in video) is "We are not in the storage business." ...that's one of the most absurd comments you will ever hear from the head of a law enforcement agence...WATE News reported that guns from the evidence room (see video below) had been sold to a business owner formerly associated with the Tellico plains Police during the Bill Isbell and Don Charest tenure, in which several seized guns had disappeared and funds from police fund-raisers were not being deposited in city bank accounts. 

An investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury (shown page 1 of 4), found systemic violations of record-keeping--a major blunder by association, considering that the store had almost become a branch office of the sheriff's dept.
The Sheriff's Dept. is no longer associated with Don Charest or any of his former cronies.
"We are Judged by the Company We Keep" 

After being appointed interim Sheriff by county commissioners on 12/9/2014, Jones was all for Randy White staying on as sheriff after the technicalities could be worked out--however, the 'lust for power' changed the story line: Jones later 'fired' Randy White who he had named as his chief deputy.

Randy White has no one to blame but himself!... It turned into a classic case of 'you snooze you loose'. 
Randy lacked the POST Commission requirements in 2014 by just a few days, and in 2018, had become eligible to be sheriff, however, Tommy Jones wouldn't let go...who can blame him?, it's pretty cool to be sheriff--the whole thing has elements of trust, betrayal, greed, and the makings of an A&E Investigation Discovery episode.

"Badge Bunnies" Target Cops and Firefighters

One of the most important duties of a training officer is to remind new recruits that engaging in certain activities can cost them their careers.

Former Tellico Plains Police Chief Arlie French (R.I.P) was clear in his warning: 'aberrant behavior can get your badge.'
He actually said "your badge can get you P_ _ _ _ but P_ _ _ _ can get your badge."

The badge bunny waitress in this picture caused a Texas trooper to get fired, after letting her sit on the patrol car while holding his assault rifle.

A Bronx fire station was known as "Animal House" because of its wild sex parties--the regular escapades caused two members to get suspended and fourteen others to get 're-assigned' after a group party with a known 'fireman groupie.' 
The woman initially told police she had been raped, but later admitted to having consensual sex with four firefighters...she also admitted to having sex with 200 to 300 firefighters since 9/11, and that she had herpes, and suffered from bi-polar disorder.

If you think this will never happen to you, think again--A 'cop groupie' in Chicago described her reasons for playful encounters with cops, she said:

• All the cops were married.
• The 'power' that cops had was a 'turn on' and she believed that the association could buy her favors.
• She also had a strange fascination with guns as 'sex objects.'
• New encounters often occurred at a public park frequented by cops.

Attempt to Destroy Judge Kavanaugh Fails

False accusations are nothing new: since the beginning of time, people have been incarcerated and at times, put to death by being falsely accused.

After the preliminary confirmation vote on Friday, Senator Susan Collins stood up and explained why she was voting in favor of the Judge Kavanaugh nomination: rule of law, presumption of innocence, and no credible supporting evidence in the outlandish allegations made by Blasey-Ford. After a 50 to 48 vote in favor of now Justice Brett Kavanaugh,
he was sworn in as the 114th US Supreme Court Justice.

Rule of law and due process is alive and well in Monroe County--professional law enforcement guidelines have at times, exposed false allegations by 911 callers. New guidelines are a stark contrast to numerous mysterious incidents and shoddy investigations during the previous administration--see "Equal Opportunity Incompetency" 

The sheriff's incident reports now go through a 'chain of command' review to weed out false claims, bias, and possible field-officer misconduct.

A brief description of 2 recent incident reports described below:

A woman accused her male companion of improperly touching her daughter, the male denied the accusation. During questioning by the responding officer, the female admitted to using meth earlier in the day, and produced two baggies containing meth, needles, and other illegal drugs. After transporting the female's two daughter to the hospital, a medical evaluation concluded there was no abuse detected.

During a property line dispute, a recent-move in from Florida walked up to his neighbor and made threats of bodily injury--then called 911 to report he had been 'assaulted.' 

Video evidence showed what really happened, and he was charged with simple assault.

A further investigation showed the false accuser had engaged in similar activities in Florida, and had resigned from his position as a school maintenance supervisor after being accused of theft.

Former Sheriff Bill Bivens' 3rd Strike Out

Sheriff Bill Bivens

Part history and perhaps a political obituary: remembered as a life-long public servant

Although he said in 2016 he was out of politics forever, in 2018 he tried for the third, and perhaps the last time to get back in the Sheriff's seat.

To anyone that has met him, he is like-able and has a generational history in Monroe County--his father was a former MCSD Sheriff--Bill also served as a county commissioner. After serving as Tellico Plains Police Chief, he decided to run against the 3 term sheriff Doug Watson in 2006, and he won.


Complaints against Watson had escalated to the point that even his supporters felt it was time for a change--two incidents, one in Madisonville and the other in *Coker Creek swung the balance in Bivens' favor--well-connected actors, in criminology known as the 'criminal elite', were getting away with a 'slap in the hand'...county wide corruption affected every aspect of society, and led to the change of the guard 2006-2014 Bivens' tenure as Sheriff.
There's no doubt, Bill will be remembered as a good man, who tried to make a positive difference in Monroe County.

There is more detail in the Coker Creek incident, but the one in Madisonville had similar components.

*March of 2006, a mid-twenties white male, son of a 'crony' of then sheriff Watson rolls his truck off the bank on Hwy 68 near what at the time was, the  'Davis Store'--flees the scene and runs home to hide-out...during the next hour, the cops try to flush the suspect out and arrest him. It escalates to the suspect shooting at a combined force of 4 police agencies (THP, MCSD, TPPD, even a cruiser from Vonore PD showed up and a WATE news crew.) 

Watson forbids the officers to shoot back, even though the officers said some of the shots 'whizzed by close to their heads'. The suspect finally passes out/faints, but was never injured and gets taken into custody by Sgt. Mike Morgan. 

It was the only time that a crew from Knoxville based WATE-TV showed up during an active crime scene in Coker Creek...
the shooter was only charged with 'reckless endangerment' and received a $100 fine from Judge Reed Dixon...(that's less than the average speeding ticket.)

MCSD Deputies Memorial Day Manhunt

While you were enjoying your holiday weekend barbecue on Memorial Day 2018, an alert deputy spotted a fugitive who was wanted on a VOP (violation of probation) from a drug related arrest.

The chase started near Ball Play/Belltown road heading towards Tellico Plains--for a short time, there was a good visual on the suspect's truck, then after about 20 minutes the getaway vehicle was spotted abandoned in the woods. 

According to an employee at the health dept, the Belltown/Ball Play road community has been one of the worst areas in the county involving drug related incidents.

You can thank the efforts of the deputies in sheriff's dept. and the county's city police depts. who continue to wage war on the drug epidemic. 

Brian "Wormy" Hodge: the Most Powerful Man in Monroe County?

The law of un-intended consequences...could he 'swing' the election if he decides to "talk" to authorities?

... Just when it was getting down to the wire in the start of the 2018 Sheriff's election, the feds have announced they now have even more evidence that ties "Wormy" Hodge to the 2014 vote buying case. 

Update: Tommy Jones wins the Republican primary sheriff's race: It may be the first time that a "Jim Comey" type strategy has had such an impact on an election since 2016--Did U.S. District Attorney Douglas Overbey violate DOJ guidelines?...
The traditional Justice Department protocol is to avoid taking investigative action in the run-up to an election that could affect it's outcome.

Soon after the press release, support for Randy White dwindled throughout the county.



U.S. District Attorney Douglas Overbey has announced they now have DNA on an envelope that was used for absentee voting--a saliva sample shows an acceptable probability that it was Hodge's DNA smeared on the envelope.

Federal authorities have a 'trump card' (no pun intended) in their arsenal during investigations which local authorities don't have: it is known as 18 U.S.C. 1001...False Statements to a Federal Investigator--in other words, lying during questioning is a crime, and if they can prove you lied--it's a felony. This is how Martha Stewart was snared during her insider trading trial--there wasn't enough to convict her for insider trading, but they could show that she lied during questioning, and she served 5 months (of a 12 month) sentence in federal prison.