Brown County Sheriff Bobby Grubbs held a press conference Friday afternoon announcing the arrests of dozens of suspects in an early morning law enforcement operation entitled, “Operation Tangled Web.”
According to Sheriff Grubbs, early Friday morning, July 18th, approximately 65 law enforcement officers began serving arrest warrants, seeking 45 defendants on charges including engaging in organized criminal activity and other drug trafficking related charges in Brown County. In addition, one search warrant was executed and an additional 8 defendants were arrested for drug and other offenses during the roundup. Various amounts of drugs were seized as officers detained or arrested defendants, Grubbs said.
As of mid-afternoon Friday, 41 defendants had been arrested and booked into Brown County Jail. The total number of suspects has risen to 53 defendants on 62 charges with 12 defendants still at large. One defendant was charged on a weapon offense as a small sawed-off shotgun was also seized in the operation.
Operation Tangled Web began approximately two years ago with investigators Carlyle Gover and James Stroope working the investigation along with their everyday case loads, according to Grubbs. The operation specifically targeted a number of methamphetamine traffickers in Brown County.
“Methamphetamine is an especially dangerous drug and is the catalyst for a number of violent and theft related crimes in Brown County and across the state,” explained Grubbs. “This drug is particularly devastating to the human mind and brings about life-long mental dysfunction in most users. Use of methamphetamine is primarily introduced by marijuana and also other drugs such as cocaine or heroin.”
Grubbs stated that deputies used a number of investigative strategies including undercover, surveillance, technology, and suspect debriefings to target suspects. The investigation was dubbed as “Tangled Web” because of the unique and complex connectivity of suspects and the drugs trafficked in Brown and surrounding counties.
“The primary traffickers in ‘Tangled Web’ were capable of selling up to a pound of methamphetamine per week to a significant number of buyers. This investigation is ongoing and as information develops, additional suspects will be targeted, investigated and arrested. Over half of the suspects have been or are currently on felony probation for various felony offenses,” Grubbs reported. “As is common with methamphetamine trafficking, many of the suspects have extensive criminal histories which include violence, weapons, and prison gang affiliations. Unfortunately, children are victims of persons involved in drug abuse. In this investigation, CPS Investigators assisted deputies in the handling of six children.” No ages of the children were available, according to Grubbs.
Various amounts of drugs were seized, totaling more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and approximately ¼ pound of marijuana. The operation was focused on methamphetamine distributors that Grubbs labeled “mid-level players.”
“These are mid-level players, the major players are in the DFW and Waco area,” explained Grubbs. “These guys are the distributors around here, the ones that put it out on the streets and into the kids’ hands.”
The defendants ranged from 17 to late 50s or early 60s, explained BCSO Captain Tony Aaron. Most were from the Brown County area where they were arrested Friday, with a few others from surrounding counties. The whereabouts of those considered at large are being investigated and Grubbs stated that he expected many to be in custody by the end of the weekend.
Grubbs and BCSO employees extend great appreciation to the agencies that adjusted manpower and schedules to assist in the arrests of these suspects. These agencies included Brown County Sheriff’s Office (leading the investigation), Brown County District Attorney’s Office, Early Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Brownwood Police Department, Brown County Adult Probation Department, Bangs Police Department and Texas Department of Family & Protective Services – Child Protective Services.
Grubbs commented on the scope of this operation and the methamphetamine problem in the county as being a common problem across the state and in many other states.
“Brown County is a great place to live and raise a family, but unfortunately, as in other good communities, there is a drug problem. Because drug abuse fuels most of the crime we face today, we resolutely address the drug problem. If not, it will erode the many reasons we love and believe in our community. Over the past few years our successes in these operations have always made a significant impact on local criminal enterprise,” said Grubbs. “With the many police functions we do so well, criminal enforcement is clearly where we strive to do our best in order to make our county a safer place for our citizens. We will continue to be aggressive on drug traffickers and other criminal law violators with professional and proactive law enforcement.”
Pictured at top is Sheriff Grubbs during the press conference Friday afternoon with photos of those arrested and sought on the wall behind him.
Pictured below are the defendants named in the roundup as released by the sheriff’s office.
In custody
 |
Jerry Allen – Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
John Simon Armedarez –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Stephanie Baker –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Stacy Bishop –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Tracy Bishop – Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Charles Burt –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Adriana Carrillo – Possession of Controlled Substance, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Prohibited Weapon |
 |
Billy Christensen –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Chad Cooper –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity, Possession of a Control Substance – Drug Free Zone, Unlawful Possession of Firearm by Felon |
 |
John Phillip Couch –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity and Delivery of Control Substance |
 |
Virgil Bruce Cross – Delivery of Control Substance |
 |
Charles Dickey – Possession of Control Substance |
 |
Megan George –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Christina Gomez – Delivery of Control Substance |
 |
Gabriel Hinojosa –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Daniel Morales, Jr. –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Miguel Pacheco –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Michael Penn –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
John Robert Quick – Delivery of Control Substance – Drug Free Zone |
 |
Tiffany Riggleman –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Ebby Salas – Possession of Control Substance – Drug Free Zone |
 |
James Schlegelmilch –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Benjamen Smith –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Joshua Smith –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity and Possession of Control Substance – Drug Free Zone |
 |
Butch Landon Spearman –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Shawnee Traeweek –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Carri Vickers –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Cody Vuittonett –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Jimmy Walls –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Auston Welker –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Joshua Caperton –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Eric Whitley –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Brandon Payne –
Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Matias Buitron – Parole Violation |
 |
Gidget Lawson Stewart – Warrant for Failure to Appear (Driving while License Invalid) and Theft by Check x2 |
 |
Jerry Leonard – Warrant out of Mills County |
 |
Leah Yabut – Possession of Control Substance – Drug Free Zone |
| No photo available | Amala Camargo – Possession of Marijuana |
 |
James Gordon – Manufacture/Delivery Control Substance 4g<200g |
 |
Sunshine Dudley – Motion to Revoke – DWLI and Manufacture/Delivery Control Substance 4g<200g |
| No photo available | Allison Optenberg – Manufacture/Delivery Control Substance 4g<200g |
 |
Shawn Hickey – Delivery of Control Substance |
| At Large | |
 |
Kevin Sliger – Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Chaplin Delarosa – Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Irene Gomez Walls – Delivery of Control Substance – Drug Free Zone |
 |
Anna Coffey – Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Shanna Hughitt – Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Bridgett King – Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Justin Barnhill – Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Courtney Sallie – Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity x 2 |
 |
Kenneth Baker – Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Marjorie Schneider – Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity |
 |
Katrina Leann White – Delivery of Control Substance – Drug Free Zone |
