Criminal Enterprise Results in Multiple Arrests in Cherokee County
| U.S. Attorney’s Office March 12, 2014 |
On February 26, 2014, a federal grand jury returned a sealed six‑count indictment charging seven individuals with multiple counts of federal drug and firearms violations. The indictment resulted from a lengthy investigation launched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Police Department. The Rusk Police Department assisted in the apprehension and arrest of four of the suspects. At the time of the arrests, over 100 grams of methamphetamine, 10 firearms, and cash was seized.
If convicted, the defendants face between five and 40 years in prison and fines of up to $5,000,000 on the drug charges and additional incarceration on the weapons charges.
All of the defendants are residents of Cherokee County and are currently in custody. Initial appearances were held before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nicole Mitchell in Tyler, Texas, on March 11, 2014.
Those named in the indictment are:
- Eric Scott Smart, 30
- Steven Ray Davis, 42
- Michael Wayne Christopher, 52
- Jimmy Royce Stafford, aka “Jimmy Loven,” 28
- Karl Dwayne Underwood, 23
- Jimmy Chance Guillen, 23
- Darren Michael Massey, 20
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard L. Moore is prosecuting the case. It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of either innocence or guilt.