Washington County Sheriff’s Office Says Drug Dealer Indirectly Linked To Dozens Of Crimes

Just months after investigators found marijuana and more than 1,000 prescription pills inside her home, a Tri-Cities woman is caught with drugs again. Washington County, Tennessee, investigators arrested Patricia Woods this week on charges of possession of prescription pills and marijuana for resale, along with charges of maintaining a dwelling where controlled substances are used and sold, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Investigators originally came to her home on Rauhof Road in Limestone this week with grand jury indictments on those charges. The alleged crimes stemmed from an incident in June when, while responding to a home invasion at her home, instead of finding burglars, deputies say they found drugs. This week, Sheriff Ed Graybeal says when his officers came to arrest Woods, they smelled marijuana inside. That’s when they arrested her for additional charges of possession of marijuana for resale, maintaining a dwelling where controlled substances are used and sold, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Investigators say this case is the perfect example of how drugs lead to other crimes. Just from selling drugs, Sgt. Doug Gregg believes Woods indirectly victimized at least 100 people.

“Indirectly, she’s probably one of the most dangerous people in the county,“ Gregg said.

Gregg doesn’t take Woods’ alleged crimes lightly.

“A lot of the pills, she had pre-marked with prices,“ Gregg said. “It was like she was a retail store.“

A retail store that Gregg says temporarily put landscaper Gerald Greene out of business. Greene is still fuming, two weeks after burglars stole $2,500 worth of landscaping tools. Gregg says those burglars took Greene’s equipment, sold it, and used the money to buy drugs from Woods.

“It really makes you mad,“ Greene said. “It really gets under your skin…It’s hard to believe that you have to work all day to earn somebody’s drugs for the day. While you’re sleeping, they’re out taking your stuff.“

Gregg says at least four men, responsible for 20 break-ins, have admitted to using stolen goods to buy their drugs from Woods

“Even if you’re working legitimately, you can’t afford that and still pay your bills,“ Gregg said. “So, you’re going to have a side job and some of these people’s side jobs are breaking into your homes while you’re gone.“

Gregg says it happened to Heidi Kinch. He says burglars stole $20,000 worth of goods from Kinch and used the money made to buy drugs from Woods.

“I just think it’s sad, especially for our youth,“ Kinch said. “We have small children. It just really scares us for them.“

Gregg estimates 90% of Washington County’s burglaries and thefts are drug-related. That means out of the 305 reported burglaries, auto thefts, and robberies in Washington County this year, about 275 of them were drug-related. Gregg says the county’s only murder this year involved drugs too.