Multiple Individuals Indicted in Major California-to-Nashville Meth-Fentanyl Case

In the largest methamphetamine investigation/enforcement action in the city’s history, Chief John Drake and TBI Director David Rausch today announced the dismantling of a California to Nashville meth trafficking organization responsible for shipping an estimated 5,000 pounds of the drug into this city in recent years. From the beginning of the investigation in November 2022 through last month, law enforcement has intercepted and seized shipments containing more than 800 pounds of meth and 24 pounds of fentanyl, preventing these highly addictive and potentially deadly substances from being distributed onto the streets of Nashville and Middle Tennessee.

“The results of this investigation are very significant, not only due to the amount of meth and fentanyl seized, but also due to the fact that the alleged California supplier is among those who have been indicted and arrested,” said Chief John Drake. “I am very proud of the law enforcement team members from our department, TBI and other agencies who came together to make Nashville a safer place by stopping this source of meth to our area.”

This investigation has been led by MNPD Specialized Investigations Division narcotics detectives and TBI agents, who, along with other law enforcement partners, make up the TBI’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force.

“Being able to work with our partners on task forces, not only with HIDTA but also through those with our local and federal partners, is key and critical to the overall mission of controlling the influx of drugs into Tennessee, and also to stop the distribution of drugs throughout our communities,” said TBI Director David Rausch.

“This investigation exemplifies how collaboration with law enforcement partners produces the greatest success in safeguarding our communities against criminal elements,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Daly. “Middle Tennessee is a safer place today because of the dedication and perseverance by so many of our law enforcement partners.”

The investigation began on November 25, 2022, when FedEx alerted law enforcement that it had detected seven suspicious parcels that were being sent to six different locations in North Nashville and one location in Antioch. The parcels were all sent from the same shipping service in Toluca Lake, California. All seven parcels were intercepted and found to contain a total of 266 pounds of crystal methamphetamine. In the months that followed, law enforcement monitored the deliveries of additional suspicious packages to various Nashville addresses. Members of the drug organization, sometimes in rental cars, were seen retrieving the parcels, which, the investigation shows, contained large amounts of meth.

Thirteen persons are named in a multi-count Davidson County grand jury indictment that alleges a series of drug conspiracy, drug distribution, and gun crimes. Among those charged is Francisco Velasquez Serrano, 34, of La Puenta, California, who is accused of being the source of the meth shipments sent to Nashville. Serrano is known to have traveled to Nashville as late as September of this year to deliver multiple pounds of drugs and meet with his co-conspirators. He was extradited from California to Nashville last week.

Locally, two Nashville men are alleged to have been at the top of the meth distribution operation, heading two separate groups, James Maurice Butler, 24, and Jeffrey Carl Jones, 40. They arranged for the shipments to be delivered to various addresses, retrieval and storage of the drugs, and distribution.

Other principals in this case include:

• Kenneth Lawrence, 39, of Nashville, who is charged with engaging in meth and fentanyl conspiracies and multiple counts of possessing of meth for resale;
• Kendrick Thompson, 42, of Nashville, who is accused on engaging in a meth conspiracy and multiple counts of selling meth;
• Christopher Daniels, 25, of Nashville, who is charged with two counts of possession of meth for resale;
• Aleah Steele, 24, of Antioch, who is charged with engaging in a meth conspiracy and possessing meth for resale;
• Shaquarya Fleming, 25, of Nashville, who is charged with engaging in a meth conspiracy;
• Juannae Piero, 24, of Riverside County, California, who is charged with engaging in a meth conspiracy. Piero is not in custody and is being sought on the indictment;
• Timothy L. Batts, 37, of Nashville, who is charged with engaging in a meth conspiracy. Batts is not in custody and is being sought on the indictment;
• Stephen Hicks, 37, of Antioch, who is charged with possessing meth for resale. Hicks is not in custody and is being sought on the indictment;
• Jonathan Kramer, 66, of North Hollywood, California, an employee a California shipping service, who is charged with engaging in a meth conspiracy and possessing of meth for resale. Kramer is not in custody and is being sought on the indictment;
• Tino Wallace, 51, of Los Angeles, California, an employee of a California shipping service, who is charged with engaging in a meth conspiracy and possessing meth for resale. Wallace is not in custody and is being sought on the indictment.

On Halloween of this year, search warrants were executed at five locations:

• Jeffrey Jones’ residence, 129 Willow Bend Drive, Mt. Juliet;
• Kenneth Lawrence’s residence, 815 Honeysuckle Road, Nashville;
• 1601 Yarra Street, Madison, a residence shared by Jones & Lawrence and deemed a stash house;
• Kendrick Thompson’s residence at 3108 Charles Park Drive, Nashville;
• 426 Huntington Ridge Drive, deemed to be a stash house for Thompson.

Seized during the execution of those search warrants were 47.5 pounds of meth, 7.6 pounds of fentanyl, 6.5 pounds of marijuana, 172 grams of Ecstasy pills, and 6 guns.

Additionally, during the execution of a search warrant on September 26th at a storage unit connected to the drug organization at Extra Space Storage, 512 26th Avenue North, detectives and agents seized 311 pounds of meth and nearly 13 pounds of fentanyl that Serrano is alleged to have just delivered in a box truck from California.

This investigation remains active with charges anticipated against additional persons.

In addition to the MNPD and TBI, the following law enforcement agencies have had an active role in parts of this two-year on-going case: Drug Enforcement Administration Tactical Diversion Group, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, Smyrna Police, 18th Judicial District (Sumner County) Drug Task Force, Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, Murfreesboro Police, Regional Organized Crime Information Center (ROCIC), MNPD SWAT, Tennessee Highway Patrol SWAT, and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.