Linton woman charged with drug-related felonies

A complaint about a neighbor parking vehicles in his yard and rutting it up sent a couple of deputies to the home of a Linton woman who’s now facing felony drug charges after the officers seized numerous firearms, drugs and drug-related items.

Tessie Mckenzie

Tessie Wynne Mckenzie, 26, was formally charged with possession of methamphetamine in an amount less than five grams, a Level 5 felony, and unlawful possession of a syringe, a Level 6 felony, when she appeared in Greene Circuit Court on Wednesday, January 2.

Mckenzie was arrested by Greene County Sheriff’s Sgt. Bobby Pierce and booked in to the Greene County Jail at 12:46 a.m. Saturday, December 29, after Sgt. Pierce and GCSD Deputy Heather Wood were sent to Mckenzie’s residence on Friday, December 28.

The deputies went to check on a civil complaint after a neighbor said vehicles were being parked on his property, causing his property to be “rutted up.” But when Pierce got to the front porch of the residence, located on North County Road 1420 West in the Linton area, he detected a strong odor of marijuana.    

Pierce talked to Mckenzie and a male individual who was there who allegedly admitted he had smoked marijuana before Pierce arrived but said he didn’t have any more.

Mckenzie said she didn’t use marijuana but she allegedly admitted there were used syringes in the trash can in her bedroom that her mother, who also lives at the residence but was not home at the time, probably put there. Mckenzie allegedly admitted to using meth a month or two earlier but said she had stopped. Pierce said when he asked Mckenzie if anything illegal would be found in her room, she said there shouldn’t be anything unless her mother hid something in her room.

Sgt. Pierce applied for a search warrant which was approved by Judge Dena Martin around 9:50 p.m. then executed around 11:20 p.m.

Prior to executing the search, both individuals were patted down and Deputy Wood reported that in Mckenzie’s back pocket, she had a syringe with residue that field tested positive as methamphetamine. Mckenzie allegedly claimed it was not hers but she got scared and hid it in her pocket.

Pierce reported the search of Mckenzie’s room yielded a syringe in a trash can; a Sig Sauer 9 mm model P938 with magazine fully loaded, not chambered; an AK-47 semi-auto 7.62 x 39 mm with magazines and multiple rounds of ammunition.

Pierce also reported numerous other firearms and drug-related items were found that were not linked to Mckenzie but were seized as evidence in another investigation with possible charges still to be filed.

During her initial hearing, Mckenzie requested a court-appointed attorney but she did not meet the qualifications and her request was denied. Mckenzie’s bond was set at $10,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. She has since bonded out of jail.