TENNESSEE — A Wednesday morning search warrant in Cookeville led to the arrest of a man authorities say is a confirmed gang member, as well as the discovery of drugs, firearms, and cash.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), deputies executed a warrant at a residence in the 700 block of Cardinal Street around 7:45 a.m. on Sept. 17. Roughly an hour later, a sergeant stopped Kevin Otey as he was driving nearby. Shortly afterward, the PCSO’s SWAT team entered his home.
Inside, investigators reported finding cocaine, 126 grams of marijuana, ammunition, two firearms — a 12-gauge shotgun and a 9mm pistol — along with $3,869 in cash.
Authorities said Otey, a documented member of the “Traveling Vice Lords” gang with prior felony convictions, was arrested and charged with two counts of manufacture, delivery, or sale of a controlled substance and two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon. He remains in jail on an $850,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 27.
The operation involved multiple agencies, including the PCSO, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force, the Algood Police Department, and members of the Putnam County SWAT team.
No further information has been released.
