Three Gatliff residents arrested in Wednesday drug raids

Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies arrested three people in the Powers Hollow Road area of Gatliff while investigating two different drug tips late Wednesday evening.

Shortly after 9 p.m., Sheriff Lawrence Hodge, Sgt. Denny Shelley and Deputy Brett Reeves went to a residence at 595 Powers Hollow Road to investigate a complaint about a possible methamphetamine lab, according to court documents

When officers received consent to search the residence, they allegedly discovered a plastic bag of marijuana with several rolling papers, and a Ruger Mark 2 .22 caliber pistol, according to arrest citations.

Deputies charged Teresa Johnson, 52, with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and public intoxication, according to his arrest citation.

She allegedly told police that she had "snorted two Valium" before officers arrived, according to her arrest citation.
Deputies charged Johnny Wayne Johnson, 54, with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, according to his arrest citation.

About 10:30 p.m., deputies acted on another drug tip about a possible methamphetamine lab and went to a residence at 470 Powers Hollow Road, according to an arrest citation.

"Once again, officers received consent to search. Sheriff Hodge found five marijuana plants growing in five gallon buckets in the back yard," according to the release.

"Mr. Smith was then arrested for cultivating marijuana and a search of his person found several Percocet 10 pills and a small black 35mm film canister with a small bindle of a white powder substance, which Mr. Smith told officers was methamphetamine."

Deputies charged Ronnie Lee Smith, 29, with cultivating marijuana five plants or more and two counts of first-degree possession of a controlled substance, according to court documents.

All three were lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center where Teresa Johnson was released shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday on a $750 surety bond.

Johnny Johnson and Smith pleaded not guilty during their arraignments Thursday afternoon before District Judge Jason Price.
Price set a $25,000 cash bond for Smith and a $7,500 cash bond for Johnny Johnson.
He scheduled June 29 preliminary hearings for both men.

Price also appointed the public defender’s office to represent Smith.