May 27, 2016 – Thursday May 26, 2016, was a busy day for the Hopkins County Grand Jury as they handed down 84 indictments against 65 individuals. Of the 84, 12 were sealed indictments.
Phillip Justin Rhone
Phillip Justin Rhone, 27 of Barksdale, Louisiana was indicted for sexual assault of a child. Rhone was arrested February 28, 2016 when the minor’s parents informed law enforcement officials that their child had not returned home. Officers began investigating and discovered a possible subject in whose presence the minor was at the time. That subject was Rhone. During the investigation officers learned that Rhone had driven the minor back home. Officers arrived at Spanish Trails Apartments, 1531 E. Industrial Drive, where they made contact with Rhone. After being read his Miranda Rights, Rhone confessed to meeting the minor online and subsequently that a sexual assault had occurred at a hotel in Sulphur Springs.
Francisco Ledesma
Moises Lopez aka Hector Santiago
Francisco Ledesma was indicted on three counts of Theft of Cattle as was Moises Manuel Lopez in three counts. Franco Ledesma, 54, of Pickton, had been charged with the theft of 57 Head of livestock that have been recovered by the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office. On the night of April 6th, a dairyman made contact with individuals caught trying to steal cattle from his property. As they fled from the scene, the dairyman was able to gain the license plate number from the vehicle. He reported this to Hopkins County Sheriff’s officers. The subject sought was on a dairy south of Saltillo. After interviewing Moises Lopez, who was using the alias Hector Santiago, it was found that Lopez had outstanding warrants. Lopez was booked into Hopkins County jail on the warrants out of Dallas County for possession of a controlled substance. The following morning, HC Chief Investigator Lewis Tatum was contacted by the land owner who had been talking to other dairymen in the area. They gave Tatum the location of the farm to which they thought the cattle had been taken near Pickton. Tatum said he was given permission to see the cattle in question by the resident at the farm. Tatum invited the dairymen to identify their cattle, which they did by the ear tags. A variety of ear tags on the cattle led to a successful sort and return of 17 head to one dairyman, 31 head to another, and nine (9) head to a third dairyman. At that time Ledesma was placed in custody. Ledesma has been charged with three counts of theft of livestock and Lopez will also be charged with the same according to Tatum. Tatum stated that there are more cattle that have been stolen and he awaits the return of Special Ranger Tony Hurley to continue the investigation and search for the remaining cattle. Hurley is currently away from the area on another investigation. Tatum said that Hopkins County Deputies Corley Weatherford and Richard Greer assisted with the arrest of Ledesma and Lopez and the return of the cattle to their owners.
Katelin Leann Gumpert
Katelin Leann Gumpert, 24, was indicted on one count of Abandon Endangerment of a Child, one count of manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance PG1 (methamphetamine) more than one gram but less than four grams, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance less than 1 gram in a drug free zone. A routine traffic stop occurred around the 300 block of Church Street shortly after 7 p.m. Monday March 7th when officers learned of two warrants out for Gumpert that were issued by the Special Crimes Unit. Gumpert was wanted for Possession of Controlled Substance greater than 1 gram and less than 4 grams in a Drug Free Zone and Possession of Controlled Substance less than 1 gram in a Drug Free Zone. Sulphur Springs Police Department Investigator Mark Estes and Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Tony Crouse arrested Gumpert and transported her to the Hopkins County Jail. A child was also with her at the time.
James Christopher Castleberry
James Christopher Castleberry, 31, was indicted for one count of Abandon Endanger of Child, one count of possession of a controlled substance, less than 1 gram, in a drug free zone, and for manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) more than 1 gram and less than 4 grams. A routine traffic stop near the 2100 block of South Broadway Street late Thursday evening, March 3rd, led to the arrest Castleberry, accompanied by Gumpert, wanted on felony warrants for Abandonment and Endangerment of a Child and Delivery and Manufacturing of a Controlled Substance. Sulphur Springs Police Department Investigator Mark Estes and Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Tony Crouse arrested Katelin Leann Gumpert, 24, and James Christopher Castleberry, 31, in connection with a previous incident that occurred at a Kasie Street residence in Sulphur Springs.
Raelynn Danielle Arney
Taliaferro Samory Prince
Raelynn Danielle Arney was indicted for Abandon Endanger of a Child. Taliaferro Samory Prince, 33, was indicted for Abandon Endanger of a Child. Raelynn Danielle Arney, 20, and Taliaferro Samory Prince, 33, were both arrested Monday afternoon April 18th, on felony charges for Endangering a Child. The warrants issued for Arney and Prince came as the result of an approximately two-month long investigation by Hopkins County Special Crimes Unit Sergeant Mark Estes and Child Protective Services agents. According to arrest reports, the investigation found that a 1-year-old child tested positive for methamphetamine. Arney and Prince, who are both from Cooper, had been residing with the child at the Spanish Trails Apartments located at 1531 East Industrial Drive in Sulphur Springs. SCU officers arrested Arney and Prince at the CPS office located on College Street and transported them to the Hopkins County Jail where they were both placed on $40,000 bond for Abandonment and Endangerment of a Child with Imminent Danger.
Also indicted or Abandon Endanger of a Child was Elizabeth Louise Willis, 30, of Sulphur Springs. Willis was arrested at a Cooper residence by Special Crimes Unit Sergeants Mark Estes and Tony Crouse. According to arrest reports, the investigation has found that several children, including a 1-year-old child, have tested positive for methamphetamine. The children were residing with at least three adults at a Spanish Trails apartment located at 1531 East Industrial Drive in Sulphur Springs. Willis charges are connected to Arney and Prince.
Oscar Garcia
Oscar Garcia, Jr, 37, was indicted for theft of a firearm, evading arrest with a vehicle and also for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. A short-lived vehicle chase on Highway 11 in Como, Texas resulted in an arrest on Wednesday afternoon April 20th. Garcia of Sulphur Springs was arrested on multiple warrants as well as for Evading Arrest and Detention with a Vehicle. Hopkins County Sheriff’s Officers responded to a call in Como involving a subject threatening another person. While in the area, Sergeant Sheets located a maroon Ford F-150 in the parking lot of the Dollar General store. Garcia, who was known to have warrants for theft and unlawful possession of firearms, was sitting in the driver’s seat. According to arrest reports, Sgt. Sheets attempted to block Garcia’s vehicle with his patrol unit. Garcia then fled the scene in his vehicle causing his truck to collide with the patrol unit. The fleeing vehicle headed east on Highway 11 for a short distance before executing a U-turn to avoid a school bus that was actively unloading students at a residence on the highway. While heading west toward Sulphur Springs on the highway, Garcia’s vehicle broke down in front of the Crystal Feed Mill in Como. Garcia exited the vehicle and refused several orders for him to get on the ground. A taser was deployed missing the target. Garcia then complied with Sgt. Sheets’ orders by getting face down on the ground before being placed into custody. During the inventory of Garcia’s vehicle, a glass pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine was found. Sgt. Sheets then transported Garcia to the Hopkins County Jail where he now awaits a magistrate’s hearing for previous warrants of Theft of a Firearm and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon as well as the current charge of Evading Arrest and Detention with a Vehicle.
Jonathan Obed Godoy
David Lopez
Jonathan Obed Godoy, 17, was indicted for theft of property more than $2,500 but less than $30,000. Godoy was one of two Greenville men arrested Thursday morning April 21st at 4 a.m. after they attempted to retrieve an ATV they had tampered with and pushed into a tree line. A construction crew alerted Hopkins County Sheriff’s officers that someone had tampered with an ATV the crew had been using in the Brashear area. The ATV was discovered in a tree line where it had been pushed in an attempt to hide it for later retrieval. Hopkins County officers began an investigation of situation and the location where the ATV had been found. When the suspects attempted to retrieve the ATV early Thursday morning, a traffic stop was initiated at the 101 mile marker on Interstate 30. Two 17-year old Greenville men, David Lopez and Jonathan Obed Godoy, were arrested for the theft and for the attempted theft of a motorcycle in Hunt County. The theft charge is a state jail felony. Lopez was also indicted by the Grand Jury Thursday.
Indicted for burglary of a building was Mistie Michelle Watson, 42. Watson was apparently caught in the act of burglary Thursday night September 9th at 9:25 p.m. Officer David Kelly of Sulphur Springs responded to a report for a burglary in progress in the 300 block of north Davis when he came upon a woman loading items into the rear of a truck. She told the officer it was her second load of items. Turns out the woman did not live at the residence and did not have permission from the owner to take things.
Samantha Pennington
Charles Chason Williams
Samantha Pennington was indicted for engaging in organized crime as was Charles Chason Williams indicted for engaging in organized crime. Williams, 17, and Pennington, 18 were two of seven arrested in a Friday March 4th roundup by Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputies who executed a warrant roundup that resulted in the arrest of five juveniles and two adults for a February burglary of a business located in Hopkins County. Some of the seven took a company vehicle for a joy ride over the weekend following the burglary and also took fire arms from the business. According to Corley Weatherford, with the Hopkins County Sheriff’s office, the seven warrants followed a series of interviews with those involved. The case was assisted by a selfie post on Facebook by one of the individuals driving the stolen vehicle.
Chaney Nicole Doyle was indicted for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Kevin Dean Lowe was indicted for unlawful possession of firearm by a felon.
Jason Wayne Meadors was indicted for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Bradley Sean Ogles was indicted for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Indicted individually for theft of a firearm was Quentin Lee Wright
Carmen J Tinajero was indicted for Assault Public Servant
Christal Lynn Degen was indicted on three counts of forgery of a government instrument.
Brittany Leigh McDonald is indicted on one count of Fraud Use/Possession of Identifying information.
Saschitity Kate Patton was indicted for credit card or debit card abuse.
Terry Kyle Tate was indicted for Hindering Apprehension.
Indicted individually for Tamper/Fabrication of Physical Evidence:
- Mason Kyle Pool
- James Wesley Preston
Indicted for Driving While Intoxicated one count each:
- Brandon Ray Brock
- Eddie Dean Woodson
- Etoma Misikosi Jennings
Valirie Ann Hicks was indicted on one count of manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance less than 1 gram, one count of manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance more than 1 gram but less than 4 grams, and for manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance less than 28 grams.
Jeri Wayne Taylor was indicted on one count of manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance less than 1 gram, one count of manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance more than 1 gram but less than 4 grams, and manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance more than 4 grams but less than 28 grams.
Nicole Rae Pritchard was indicted on two counts of possession of a controlled substance more than 4 grams but less than 200 grams.
Brandon Jon Stowater was indicted for possession of a controlled substance more than 4 grams but less than 200 grams.
Maranda Louise Miller was indicted for possession of a controlled substance more than 1 gram but less than 4 grams.
Martin Lee Contreras was indicted for manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance less than 1 gram in a drug free zone.
Abby Nicole Shannahan was indicted for possession of a controlled substance less than 1 gram in a drug free zone.
Todd Philip Jefferson was indicted on two counts of possession of a controlled substance less than 1 gram.
Indicted on one count each for possession of a controlled substance less than 1 gram was:
- Dana Jean Aldridge
- Velma Villarreal Alvarado
- Heaven Faith Buchanan
- Roy Freeman Burkham
- Billy Don Campbell
- Wesley James Chester
- George Sanchez Gonzales
- Joshua James Harmon
- Jake Ryan Martin
- Derrick Edward Morris
- Harleah Petrea
- Shyanna Angelic Rodriguez
- Russell Edward Skeen
- Tavian Dewayne Tave
- Brittany Danielle Ward
