According to the Cumberland County General Sessions Court criminal docket and accompanying affidavits of complaint from March 2026, Dakota Dalton Whittington faces multiple charges stemming from a series of burglaries, thefts, and a drug possession incident. Investigator Mitchell Ward and Deputy Devyne Templeton of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office led an investigation following a March 5, 2026, report of a burglary at Advanced Storage on Highway 70 East in Crossville, Tennessee. Law enforcement discovered that multiple storage units at the facility had their locks broken. A significant portion of the stolen property was subsequently tracked to local pawn shops, where it had been sold by Whittington. Upon questioning on March 10, 2026, Whittington admitted to breaking the locks and taking items from several units.

The storage unit thefts total tens of thousands of dollars in stolen property. One major theft charge involves approximately $16,320 worth of ammunition, firearms accessories, power tools, precious metals, household goods, and hunting and fishing equipment. Additional specific thefts tied to the burglarized units include one instance involving approximately $6,075 worth of hunting bows and specialized fishing gear, and another involving a MacBook Pro laptop and a DeWalt angle grinder valued at roughly $3,049. In connection with these storage break-ins, Whittington faces three separate counts of burglary and three counts of theft of property ranging from $2,500 to over $10,000.

Beyond the storage facility incident, Whittington faces two additional separate charges. Investigator Ward filed a retail theft charge against him for allegedly stealing a DeWalt drill combo kit, valued at $329, from a Lowe’s home improvement store. Furthermore, on March 18, 2026, Deputy Zach Early conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Whittington was a passenger. Following a consent search of the vehicle, deputies discovered a small bag under the passenger seat containing a glass pipe and a glass container holding approximately 3.46 grams of a crystal substance identified as methamphetamine. Whittington claimed ownership of the contraband, resulting in an additional charge of simple possession/casual exchange.