An ongoing investigation deepens as Nashville authorities indict six more individuals in a drug smuggling operation at the Downtown Detention Center (DDC). According to a Metropolitan Nashville Police Department press release, those charged include a former Sheriff’s Office employee, three inmates, and two civilians. The inquiry has been a joint effort by the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Specialized Investigations Division and the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office since July.
The strategy to infiltrate the DDC with contraband seemed to centrally involve Imani Birdine, 26, a former Sheriff’s Office staff member. Birdine allegedly acted as the conduit, bringing drugs into the jail. Inmate Demetrice Holmes, 22, is said to readily spread these illicit substances among fellow captives. Carlos Robins, another inmate, is accused to have coordinated with civilians Lashonda Jackson, 52, and William Southall, 47, for payments to Birdine. Jackson and Southall also reportedly directed the drug deliveries to William Searle, 39, yet another inmate entangled in this web. Birdine resigned amidst the investigation, perhaps seeking to distance herself from the imminent legal storm.
The investigation has seen progress across several months, with this marking the third set of indictments and totaling 14 people now implicated in the scandal. Additional backstory on those involved reveals a history of criminal ties: Robins has been detained since last September on multiple felony drug counts, while Holmes sports convictions spanning from assault to auto burglary. Searle, with an April 2024 conviction for reckless homicide tied to drug-related activities, adds a grave dimension to the narrative. All involved, save for Southall, have been apprehended or were already behind bars, the Nashville government report details.