By Rich Flowers News Editor
The Athens Review
Athens — Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt reports four recent arrests by west-end investigators that solved an Athens-area car burglary, and a Malakoff jewelry theft.
Michael Paul McCluskey, 18, was arrested in Athens Thursday for fraudulent use of identifying information, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was released from Henderson County Jail after posting $10,500 bond Friday. Two teens who were in McCluskey’s vehicle at the time of his arrest, Austin Johnson, 18 and Naomi Butler, 17, were each charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, and released after posting $500 bond. In a separate incident, Drake Lathon Bentley, 22, was jailed for theft of property, $1,500 to $20,000. He remained in custody Monday, with bond set at $7,000.
HCSO reports said Investigators Ceresa Ballard, Bryan Tower, Wick Gabbard and Lt. Botie Hillhouse, conducted a traffic stop on McCluskey as he left the Murphy U.S.A. station at Wal-Mart in Athens.
After a search of the vehicle, McCluskey, Johnson and Butler were each charged with the drug paraphernalia offense.
Ballard learned that McCluskey had attempted to pass a credit card at Murphy U.S.A that had been taken in a Jan. 21 burglary on Trey Circle off Farm-to-Market Road 1616 near Athens.
Ballard obtained a warrant from Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Henry Ashford for McCluskey’s arrest on the fraudulent use of identifying information charge.
Bentley’s arrest followed an investigation into two felony jewel thefts that occurred in January. One was off County Road 2919 in the Eustace area, and the other off Lakeside Drive in Payne Springs.
Investigators were able to develop Bentley as a common suspect in the thefts.
Tower and Ballard spoke with Bentley, who confessed to taking the jewelry. The suspect surrendered to authorities without incident.
