KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation along with the 4th Judicial District Attorney General, the Sevierville Police Department, Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Dandridge Police Department and 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force today made multiple arrests related to a drug conspiracy investigation involving the possession and distribution of illegally obtained controlled substances in Sevier and Jefferson Counties stemming from a stolen prescription pad from a Knoxville hospital in 2010.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office requested TBI to investigate in August of 2010. The investigation revealed that while working at a registered nurse at Covenant Health 34-year-old Stephanie Ann McMahan, of Sevierville, Tenn. stole prescriptions pads from the hospital and gave them to her husband at that time, 39-year-old Sammy Russell, of Knoxville. Russell used the blank prescription pads to create fake prescriptions and then recruited individuals to pass the forged prescriptions to obtain controlled substances. As payment for passing the forged prescriptions, Russell gave the recruited individuals a portion of the pills from the filled prescriptions. In September of 2013, the Sevier County grand jury indicted the individuals involved in the conspiracy. McMahan was indicted on one count of conspiracy to sell and/or deliver and Russell was indicted on 15 counts of possession of a controlled substance, one count of conspiracy to sell or deliver and 15 counts of obtaining or attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud.

Others indicted in the case include:

Bradley Justin Taylor, 30, of Dandridge

  • Three counts of conspiracy to sell and/or deliver
  • Three counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud
  • Three counts of obtaining for purpose of the sale or delivery

Nathan Andrew Raney, 38, of Sevierville

  • One count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell or deliver
  • One count of conspiracy to sell and/or deliver
  • One count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud

Mark Kenneth Whitley, 34, of Dandridge

  • 12 counts of possession of a controlled substance
  • One count of conspiracy to sell and/or deliver
  • 12 counts of obtaining or attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud

Eric Vinson Sobol, 36, of Sevierville

  • Five counts of possession of a controlled substance
  • One count of conspiracy to sell and/or deliver
  • Five counts of obtaining or attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud

Christopher Daily, 30, of Sevierville

  • Three counts of possession of a controlled substance
  • One count of conspiracy to sell and/or deliver
  • Three counts of obtaining or attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud

Steven Charles Smith, 27, of Sevierville

  • One count of possession of a controlled substance
  • One count of conspiracy to sell and/or deliver
  • One count of obtaining or attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud

Tommy Matthew Tadlock, 27, of Sevierville

  • Five counts of possession of a controlled substance
  • One count of conspiracy to sell and/or deliver
  • Five counts of obtaining or attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud
  • Five counts of obtaining or attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud

The above subjects were booked into the Sevier County Jail on bond.

Published by TBIMedia