In a major law enforcement sweep dubbed “Operation Spring Cleaning,” the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with state and federal agencies like the TBI and DEA, successfully apprehended 13 suspects following months of undercover investigations. The operation, which began on April 13 after a series of indictments, targeted repeat drug offenders across the county. Sheriff Eddie Farris noted that all but one of those arrested were recurring visitors to their facility, emphasizing that the primary goal of the roundup was to disrupt the local drug activity that fuels the majority of other crimes in the area.

A significant portion of the operation focused on the arrest of 43-year-old Brandon Jones, a convicted felon who faced multiple charges involving firearms and methamphetamine distribution. Body camera footage captured a tense standoff at Jones’s residence where he initially refused to surrender; however, he was taken into custody without injury after a K-9 handler successfully deployed and then recalled a police dog at the last second. During the sweep, officers also discovered an additional man hiding in a closet ceiling who, despite not being a primary target, fled out of fear regarding his own potential warrants.

While 13 individuals remain behind bars, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is still actively seeking the public’s assistance in locating four indicted suspects who remain at large. These individuals—Tradonna Suzanne Horn, Stephanie Marie Hill, Jeffery Allen Madewell, and William Justin Scott Doss—face various charges related to the manufacture and sale of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding their whereabouts to contact the department’s dedicated drug hotline.