It is with great honor to announce that Sheriff Robert Bryan has been named the “2021 Tennessee Sheriff of the Year” during the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association’s 50th Annual Conference this week in Sevierville. The award, which was voted on by Sheriffs across Tennessee, was presented to Sheriff Bryan by TSA Executive Director Sheriff Jeff Bledsoe (Ret) during a banquet held on Wednesday night.

“I am truly honored to be recognized by Sheriffs across Tennessee with this award. It was a very humbling experience for me and the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association has always held a special place in my heart,” stated Sheriff Robert Bryan. “I can’t say enough about the support that has been given from both my family and the men and women who selflessly put their lives on the line each day from the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.”

The award was given by his peers in appreciation of his many outstanding contributions to law enforcement over his 32 year career.  Please join us in congratulating Sheriff Bryan on this prestigious award.

LEBANON,TN- The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect(s) responsible for the burglary and theft of several items taken from Xtreme Paintball located off of West Old Laguardo Road. On Saturday, when the owner arrived at the business, he noticed several items had been taken that included: paintball guns, HPA tanks, power tools, battery chargers, miscellaneous paintball equipment, a four wheeler, a generator, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, and food/drinks. The burglary occurred sometime between Friday evening and early morning hours on Saturday.

Anyone with information which leads to the successful identification, prosecution, and conviction of the person(s) responsible in this incident could be entitled a total cash reward of up to $1,500. Please call the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Crime Stoppers at 615-444-5245 with any information that would assist in the investigation of this incident or any crime, callers can remain anonymous.

MT. JULIET (TN) – Deputies were dispatched early Saturday morning to a home on Mays Chapel Road after shots were fired when a male subject driving a yellow Chevrolet Camaro pulled into the driveway and opened fire on the residence next door. The homeowner of the residence, where the subject pulled in to, heard the shots being fired and then quickly obtained his firearm returning fire back at the armed man through his bedroom window. The male subject, later identified as Caleb Lee Hughes (28) of Sumner County, fled the scene heading towards the area of Highway 109.

A BOLO was given out to surrounding counties with the description of the fleeing vehicle with a concentrated focus on Sumner County especially since Hughes resided there. The information was entered in on the ALPR cameras in Sumner County and the vehicle was immediately flagged as Hughes crossed the county line. As they made contact with the vehicle, a pursuit began as Hughes fled authorities and was eventually stopped while being taken into custody without incident.

“Deputies observed multiple holes on the outside of the targeted residence as well as the vehicles located on the property as a result from the gun shots that occurred,” stated Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan. “The intended target of the shooting were family members of Hughes girlfriend. Fortunately, no one was harmed and Hughes was taken into custody without incident. We appreciate the great work by the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office with assisting us in capturing Hughes.”

Hughes remains in the Wilson County Jail and was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and vandalism >$10,000. He is set to appear in General Sessions Court on May 19^th at 9:00 a.m.

LEBANON (TN)- On May 5^th, Wilson County deputies were dispatched to an address located off of Cedar Forest Road to conduct a welfare check on the living conditions of two young children. Information was also given to responding deputies that the parents of the children possibly had outstanding warrants. Upon arrival, deputies quickly surrounded the residence while finding that the back door entrance was open. While deputies were clearing the residence after making an announcement, Detective Justin Cagle heard what was believed to be a child crying from underneath the trailer. A female, later identified as Kimberly B. Blachowski (25), was located under the trailer holding a small child wearing only a diaper and wrapped in a towel.

Kimberly then advised deputies that there was a second child in the back bedroom of the residence. Upon arrival in the bedroom, deputies observed a small child lying in a clothes basket with clothes and blankets over the child except for a small opening around the facial area. A large aggressive pit bull was also discovered in the trailer alone with the child.

A second subject, later identified as Justin P. Blachowski (28), fled out the back door of the residence upon arrival by deputies and was later taken into custody.

“We quickly took both children into our custody while the Department of Children Services were responding to the home to investigate the living conditions that we observed,” stated Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan. “Both Justin and Kimberly had outstanding warrants and were taken into custody with additional charges for child neglect. Justin also violated a conditional release as he was not to be around Kimberly due to a previous domestic incident involving the two.”

Justin and Kimberly remain in jail as of press time and are both set to appear in General Sessions Court on May 19^th, 2021.

LEBANON (TN) – On Friday, April 30^th, the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Directed Patrol Unit made an arrest on Westview Drive in Lebanon stemming from an existing arrest warrant. Deputies made contact with the home owner at the residence and observed drug activity that led deputies in contacting the Wilson County Narcotics Division.

Through the information that was received, detectives were able to obtain a search warrant on the residence and located an ounce and a half of methamphetamine, a quarter ounce of crack cocaine, a quarter ounce of powder cocaine, THC edibles, two pounds of marijuana, and over $63,000.

“We are finding large amounts of drugs and money that are being used for trafficking almost on a weekly basis,” stated Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan. “These drugs that we are finding pose a high risk for addiction to those who are using it which causes a potential for overdose. We will continue to use every resource available to combat the drug trafficking within our community.”

Due to the ongoing investigation, the identity of the suspects will not be released at this time.

LEBANON (TN) – Last Friday evening, Directed Patrol Cpl. Logan Hackett initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle driving erratically southbound on Hartmann Drive in Lebanon. As soon as the vehicle pulled over on the shoulder and as Cpl. Hackett began to exit, the driver took off at a high rate of speed leading deputies on a pursuit that eventually ended as the car crashed into a telephone pole on Beckwith Road. Prior to crashing, Mt. Juliet Police were able to successfully spike out the tires from the fleeing vehicle. Upon arrival by deputies, witnesses stated they observed a male running with a black bag behind a residence.

Moments later, the driver was located in the back yard hiding from deputies under an old boat. Jeremy Sharif Bender, (33) of Mt. Juliet, was taken into custody and charged with multiple crimes. Deputies found a large amount of US currency totaling over $2,000 in Bender’s wallet as well as three separate bags of a tan powder substance believed to be heroin, two bags containing suboxone strips and a digital scale with powder residue on it that was located in the black bag.

Inside the vehicle, was a clear bag that contained multiple small blue pills believed to be pressed fentanyl, a glass pipe containing crystal methamphetamine and a half bottle of Crown Royal.

“Mr. Bender is a convicted felon who has a history of drug violations and evading law enforcement,” stated Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan. “Thankfully, no one was injured and we were able to take more dangerous drugs off the street before they got into someone else’s hands. Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and is claiming lives every day because of its high risk of addiction and dependency.”

Bender remains in jail with a total bond amount of $78,500 and charged with multiple drug offenses along with driving under the influence, implied consent, evading arrest x2, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and leaving the scene. He is set to appear in court on November 10, 2021, at 9 a.m.

LEBANON, TN – The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting a Drug Take Back Initiative on Saturday, April 24, for anyone wanting to dispose of unwanted and/or expired prescription and non-prescription drugs. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at two drop-off locations:

1. Gibbs Pharmacy- 1427 W Baddour Parkway Unit B, Lebanon
2. Three Forks Marketplace, 9000 Sparta Pike, Watertown

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers, 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants, and 5.9 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in 2019. The survey also showed that a majority of misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

 “We strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to clean out your medicine cabinets and get rid of expired or medication you are no longer taking,” Sheriff Robert Bryan said. “Your home medicine cabinet is often where young people begin experimenting with drugs. It’s important to recognize this could happen to someone in your home, including your child, your grandchild or your neighbor’s child. Please take precautions to avoid a tragedy involving your prescription drugs.”

Medications you use for legitimate reasons are often subject to theft, and can lead to addiction and ultimately even drug trafficking. Sheriff Bryan noted that there is a national epidemic of prescription drug abuse that is often the motive in numerous crimes. “We appreciate cooperative efforts such as this one,” Sheriff Bryan said, noting, “We are happy to be able to provide a place where you safely and conveniently dispose of such medicines when they are no longer needed or wanted.”

Anyone who would like to drop off medication or drugs, prescription or other, can drop it off at the event on Saturday, April 24, with no questions asked. No syringes are accepted, whether used or new. And no inhalers will be accepted. Thank you for your cooperation.

OLD HICKORY (TN)- Deputies were dispatched to a residence in Old Hickory on March 31^st around 9 p.m. after 911 received a call of shots fired in the area. Upon arrival near the 600 block of General Kershaw Drive, deputies quickly made contact with a male subject who had been shot in the left knee and right leg. The victim was unable to advise if the suspect(s) had left the residence or was still in the immediate area. Cpl. Bryce Beaty immediately applied a tourniquet to the victim’s left leg until medics arrived.

Through the course of the investigation by WCSO detectives, information was developed that presence of drugs were inside the home that the deputies responded to. Detectives worked quickly to get a search warrant issued for the residence. The warrant was executed where a large amount of narcotics and weapons were located. One of the weapons seized was originally stolen from a vehicle burglary out of Lewisburg, TN.

“During the course of the investigation through the interviews that were conducted by detectives, this incident appears to be drug related,” stated Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan. “There were large amounts of illegal drugs inside the home that included crystal methamphetamine, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, various pills and marijuana. Numerous weapons were also found inside the residence as well as items commonly associated with drug trade.”

Detectives will be consulting with the District Attorney’s Office with their findings from the investigation for prosecution of the incident that occurred.

LEBANON, TN – A local man who was accused of threatening multiple public servants and private citizens throughout the middle Tennessee area plead guilty this morning in criminal court. Multiple agencies worked collaboratively in executing search warrants on a property located at Young Road last February as a result of a lengthy investigation on Phillip Wayne Foster.

 “The letters included threats of bodily injury and/or death, bomb threats and threats of distribution or delivery of chemical agents,” stated Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan. “This was a lengthy investigation for our Criminal Investigations Division, led by Detective Mike Barbee, due to the numerous victims and jurisdictions that were involved. They conducted a very thorough investigation which allowed them to build a strong case against Foster in court.”

 Foster plead guilty to eight charges this morning in criminal court for his involvement with sending threatening letters to numerous victims that included multiple elected officials, including numerous judges that are currently or have historically served the State of Tennessee.

###

Deputies responded to the southeast part of Wilson County to investigate a residential burglary. Fortunately, the homeowner had installed video surveillance cameras at his residence which captured the entire burglary.

“This incident is a perfect example of how homeowners can help us capture individuals that commit these types of crimes,” stated Sheriff Robert Bryan. “This gives our detectives a great advantage during these investigations and will help our agency tremendously during prosecution.”

If you know this individual or recognize this vehicle, please call the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 615-444-1459. Detectives need your help, and anyone with information related to this incident or any crime can remain anonymous.