NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – The Department of Justice has announced 21 people charged with distributing large amounts of drugs in and around Maury and Lewis County have pleaded guilty to federal drug distribution charges.

According to the DOJ, an indictment returned in December 2021 charged the following 14 people with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine between March 2018 and September 2019:

Julio Esparza, aka Beto, 46; Freddy Quinones, 49; and Jesus Silva, aka Barbas, 41, all of McAllen, Texas; Brandon Dailey, aka Willie Earl, 40; Henry Davis, aka Hank, 43; Vincent Conner, aka Roe, 38; Derrick Nixon, aka Chewy, 55; Shanika Odom, aka Butterball, 32; Terry Strayhorn, aka Goldie Mac, 42; and Samuel Abernathy, 45, all of Mount Pleasant, Tenn.; Brent Burns, aka Smiley, 39; and Tristen Tisby, aka Jolly, 31, both of Columbia, Tenn.; and Tory Hardison, 28; and Carson Lunn, 26, both of Pulaski, Tenn. 

Another indictment charged the following seven people with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and oxycodone between October 2017 and November 2020:

Michael Sowell, aka Mac Black, 38; Frank Sparkman, aka Chucky, 42; Antonio Sowell, aka Premo, 38; Tanasha Vaughn, aka Nesha, 24, all of Hohenwald, Tenn.; Charles Lowe-Kelley, aka White Chaz, 31, of Columbia, Tenn.; and Darron Weakley, aka Snype Lucas, 37; and Antonio Laster, aka Lil Memphis, 33, both of Nashville, Tenn. 

Michael and Antonio were also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, according to officials.

A third indictment charged Keadrick Duke, aka Kebe, 41, of Columbia, with distribution of crack cocaine in November 2018.

The DOJ said every defendant charged across the three indictments has pleaded guilty, except for Brandon Dailey, who died while awaiting trial.

Most of the drug offenders face mandatory prison terms of five, 10, or 15 years, and up to life when they are sentenced later this year, according to authorities.