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Troubled history trails Swafford as he awaits trial
A lot has happened since Kingsport resident William James Swafford Jr., aka “Jimmie” or “DJ Jimmie,” started up Club 229 in the Riverview community in 2002.
Following is a timeline that tracks how Swafford went from being a businessman to being behind bars.
Swafford has remained jailed since Kingsport police arrested him in October 2008 on charges he threatened to decapitate a man who has agreed to testify against him when he goes to trial next year. Swafford is facing charges that allege he headed up a drug ring believed responsible for bringing hundreds of pounds of marijuana and cocaine into the Model City since 1998.
The timeline is based on articles from the Times-News archives:
2002 — Lincoln Street rezoned; Club 229 opens.
February 2002 — Fight inside Club 229 ends with Knoxville resident shot outside.
2003 — Kingsport police say 41 percent of the city’s drug arrests for the year occurred in Riverview and surrounding South Central c o m m u n i t y.
July 2004 — As brothers leave Club 229, 50 shots are fired in their direction.
March 2005 — Swafford and a female acquaintance, Jamie Allison Beard, 22, arrested; police report finding 12 pounds of marijuana in Swafford’s car during traffic stop. Officers seize more than $6,000 in cash and his $80,000 2004 Mercedes-Benz.
January 2005 — Man shot outside Club 229 after fight inside.
February 2005 — Two injured, three arrests made after 15 gunshots heard inside Club 229.
August 2005 — Man shot after fight at Club 229.
April 2006 — Swafford and Beard indicted and arraigned on charges of possession of over 10 pounds of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Swafford was also indicted on a window tint law violation.
May 2006 — Mayor Dennis Phillips asks interim City Manager Mike Billingsley to do whatever is necessary to close Club 229. City files petition in Sullivan County Chancery Court to have the club declared a public nuisance. Petition says Kingsport police, over the past three years, received 33 complaints about Club 229, including two reports of shots fired, five reports of a shooting, one rape, seven assaults, seven disturbances and three reports of disorderly conduct.
June 2006 — Swafford sells Club 229 to Kingsport Economic Development Board for $200,000; property to be transferred to the housing authority for Hope VI community revitalization project. Swafford announces intent to make a fresh start with mother’s LimeLight nightclub on Stone Drive.
September 2006 — Kingsport Police Officer Chris Smith resigns and takes a security position at LimeLight.
December 2006 — City denies LimeLight a beer permit; Swafford’s mother says son is deejay, not manager. Police claim LimeLight operates just like Club 229 did by allowing “known felons” to congregate at the establishment, remaining open past its posted hours of operation, and refusing entry to the building by officers (the latter referring to officers’ attempt to investigate a bomb threat).
January 2007 — Police receive report of a stabbing and a beating during related fights at LimeLight. Chris Smith tells the Times-News he thinks police tried to shut down LimeLight in its infancy, citing officers’ untimely execution of search warrants at LimeLight. An August search warrant was executed the day before LimeLight’s grand opening, and a November search warrant occurred while Olivia Swafford was trying to get a beer permit for the club. A police records check by the Times-News reveals that, over 2003 and 2004, there were only 16 incidents documented at Club 229. During the same time period, police recorded 113 incidents at Hog Wild Saloon.
Also in January 2007 — Swafford is among 21 suspects rounded up on indictments following a two-year probe into whether Swafford was heading up a large-scale marijuana distribution operation. The probe stretched from Tennessee to Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Texas and involved wiretapping so investigators could gather enough evidence to charge those who allegedly participated in the operation.
Swafford’s charges are criminal conspiracy to distribute or sell over 300 pounds of marijuana, criminal conspiracy to distribute or sell over 300 grams of cocaine, possession of over 10 pounds of marijuana for resale or delivery, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of the window tinting law, five counts sale or delivery of over half an ounce of marijuana, two counts sale or delivery of over 26 grams of cocaine, possession of over 26 grams of cocaine for sale or delivery within 1,000 feet of a school, and sale or delivery of over half a gram of cocaine. Swafford also faces unrelated charges on two counts of sales tax fraud stemming from the operation of Club 229 and Wyde Open Records, theft over $10,000 and theft over $1,000, and five counts of money laundering.
Chris Smith was also indicted on two counts of official misconduct and one count of conspiracy to sell or deliver over 300 pounds of marijuana.
August 2007 — The KHRA holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony for new HOPE VI and Fresh Start office, located at former site of Club 229.
October 2007 — One injured in shooting in parking lot at LimeLight; Swaffords close LimeLight after installation of metal detector, security cameras throughout the interior and having security people on hand fails to deter such violence outside the nightclub.
October 2008 — Swafford is jailed on $1 million bond (later reduced to $500,000) after authorities say he threatened a former co-defendant who pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges and agreed to testify at Swafford’s trial if subpoenaed to do so.
December 2008 — A Sullivan County grand jury indicts Swafford on charges of extortion, retaliation for past action, and coercion of a witness for alleged threats posted on MySpace.
Meanwhile, several of Swafford’s former co-defendants have pleaded guilty to lesser charges and are expected to testify against him when he goes to trial, according to Sullivan County District Attorney Greeley Wells.
Efren Johnson, Rhonda Burnett, Michael Maxwell and Jamie Michelle Farrington each have pleaded guilty to possession of over 10 pounds of marijuana for sale or delivery. Johnson received 10 years in prison, while Burnett was placed on eight years’ probation with 10 hours of community service per month. Maxwell and Farrington await sentencing Feb. 8, 2010, the day of Swafford’s trial.
Eric Wilson and Gregory Smith each pleaded guilty to possession of over 70 pounds of marijuana for delivery or sale and received a 10-year prison sentence. Smith’s sentence has been suspended in favor of supervised probation and 600 hours of community service.
Others set to appear in court on Feb. 8, 2010, are Jason Haywood, Tanisha Machen, Johnny Hicks, Travis Adams, Jason Conkin and Brandon Smith. Lamont Jones is set to appear in court the following d a y.
Prior to Swafford’s Aug. 14 status review, Chris Smith is set for an Aug. 4 motions hearing.
Pablo Pallan is set for trial on Nov. 9, 2009. Johnny Hicks is also awaiting trial, but the date for that is unknown.
Jason Conkin is scheduled for a probation violation hearing on the day of Swafford’s trial. He has pleaded guilty to an unknown charge.
The next court dates for Jamie Beard, Vanessa Brice, Latwan Wolfe, and Donald Thomas were unavailable Thursday as their files were still in the courtroom.
One defendant, Brad Kelley, pleaded guilty to possession of over 10 pounds of marijuana for sale or delivery in 2007, but died before the sentencing hearing.
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It wasn't just a black guy in a nice car being pulled over. It was Jimmie Swafford. Enough said.
It really appears that Mr. Swafford is guilty of many things, but it sounds like another story we've read about, a black man in a nice car is pulled over for little to no reason. A nice example of KPD and their racial profiling.
Oh mercy sakes.