Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Two, on-duty restaurant employees are charged with drug possession after undercover Mt. Juliet Police Crime Suppression Unit (CSU) officers watched a drug deal in the restaurant parking lot. On April 7, 2015 around 1:00 p.m. a patrol officer witnessed suspicious behavior near Burger King, located at 11547 Lebanon Road, and he notified undercover officers of the activity.
After undercover officers arrived and established surveillance at the restaurant, they watched a man, identified as Dennis Shae Caruthers, 29, of Old Hickory, exit the back door of the restaurant and get into the passenger seat of a Buick parked in the parking lot. He was in the Buick for less than a minute, and Caruthers and the driver, identified as Tre DeWayne Bates, 21, of Mt. Juliet, got out of the car. Bates went into the restaurant’s customer entrance, and Caruthers got into the passenger seat of a Nissan nearby, which was occupied by a female, identified as Amanda Fajkus, 24, of Mt. Juliet.
As CSU officers made contact with Caruthers and Fajkus, they noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from the Nissan’s interior. As Fajkus exited the Nissan, a bag of marijuana and a bag of crack cocaine fell out of her restaurant uniform.
Baggy of Crack Cocaine That Was Seized
Further investigation revealed that Bates just sold marijuana to Caruthers. A search of Bates’s car revealed two separate bags of marijuana. Officers found more marijuana and crack cocaine on Caruthers’s person. Caruthers and Fajkus were working for Burger King and in full-uniform at the time of the incident. A total of 49 grams of marijuana, 7 grams of crack cocaine, $1,032.00 in cash, and a 1998 Buck Park Avenue was seized in this incident.
Caruthers was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Possession of a Schedule II Drug for Resale and Simple Possession of a Schedule VI Drug. Bates was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Possession of a Schedule VI Drug for Resale. Both are set to appear in court on July 28, 2015.
Fajkus was issued citations and released, charged with Simple Possession of a Schedule II Drug and Simple Possession of a Schedule VI Drug. She is set to appear in court on July 23, 2015.
“We are committed to ensuring illegal drugs stay out of our community, and good police-work like this ensures that we are successful in our commitment,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick.
Dennis Shae Caruthers, 29, of Old Hickory
Tre DeWayne Bates, 21, of Mt. Juliet
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