Investigator Sherrill (L) and Deputy Reed (R) with confiscated items.
According to warrants, Donald Jason Knight, 41, of Owensboro, Kentucky was charged with manufacturing/delivery/possession of a controlled substance, unlawful drug paraphernalia uses, drug free school zone and contraband in penal institution. His bond was set at $107,500.
Also charged was Michelle Virginia Pessia, 34, of Owensboro, Kentucky with manufacturing/delivering/selling/possession of a controlled substance, unlawful drug paraphernalia and drugs in a drug free zone. Her bond was set at $102,500.
The pair was arrested by Coffee County Sheriff’s Investigator James Sherrill and Deputy Brandon Reed Wednesday after deputies received a complaint that a couple was sitting in a truck behind Busy Corner Truck Plaza on the Murfreesboro Highway with a syringe possibly doing drugs. The deputies, allegedly, found Knight sitting on the passenger side of a pickup truck and Pessia sitting on the step at the rear of the truck stop. Knight told the officers that they had been arguing after a long ride from Georgia. Knight told the officers that they had been arguing about how much of the meth they had used since they left Georgia.
When Investigator Sherrill noticed that Knights’ pockets were “bulging” he asked him to empty them in case he had a weapon in the pockets. He pulled out a black box which was open and a pack of pills in it. Deputy Reed then looked in the box and saw in plain view a bag of meth that contained seven grams of meth. They also found a large set of digital scales sitting below the dash. Reed then found a black bag in the driver’s side floor board which contained a zip lock bag with approximately a pound and a half of meth.
According to the warrants, after the pair was arrested, Knight told Sherrill, Reed and FBI Agent Steve Brookes that they had been to Georgia to “buy meth.”
Because they had the drugs near North Coffee Elementary School they were charged with having the drugs in a school zone.
According to Investigator Sherrill, the FBI is continuing to investigate the incident and federal charges are possible.
The couple are due to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court June 30.
