August 19, 2008 07:45 pm
—
A traffic stop on I-40 in Putnam County Friday netted law enforcement officers over one-quarter of a million dollars and the circumstances surrounding that money's existence remains under investigation, according to Lt. Casey Cox.
Cox and Investigator Jeff Slayton of the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department were traveling on I-40 in the area of Peavine Rd. when a tractor-trailer rig traveling west attracted the attention of the officers, according to a press release.
The investigators followed the rig as it traveled toward Putnam County and the deputies called for assistance from troopers. The rig was finally stopped with the assistance of Troopers Adams and Robertson at the 283 mile marker.
Cookeville Police were called to the scene and a drug detection dog was deployed and alerted to the cab area of the truck.
A resulting search netted $283,210 in cash from inside the truck.
The driver of the truck was identified as Jimmy Clinton Smith of Ochelata, OK.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation represented by Special Agent Mike Burnette and the AHIDTA Middle Tennessee Drug Task Force were also called to the scene and are actively investigating the incident.
"All the agencies which were involved with this seizure worked very well with each other and displayed great teamwork, dedication and commitment to the common goal of fighting the war on illegal drugs throughout the Middle Tennessee area," Cox said in the press release.
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