March 8, 2024 - A Shelby County Grand Jury handed down 19 indictments on Tuesday, February 13, 2024. The grand jury was impaneled for the January 2024 term of the 123rd/273rd Judicial District Courts.
In addition, a previously sealed indictment handed down July 26, 2023 from the grand jury impaneled for the July 2023 term of the 123rd Judicial District Court is included. Jerry Curtis Lewis was indicted for publish/threat to publish intimate visual material, state jail felony. The indictment alleges, on April 27, 2023, Lewis without the consent of and with intent to harm an individual intentionally disclosed visual material, namely photographs, depicting the individual engaged in sexual conduct and the visual material was created under circumstances in which the individual had a reasonable expectation of privacy that the visual material would remain private. The indictment further alleges, the disclosure of the visual material caused harm to the individual, namely, by disclosing the photograph to the individual's spouse and the disclosure of the visual material revealed the identity of the individual. The photograph captured the individual's recognizable facial features, and accompanying text indicated the individual's identity. (123rd Judicial District Court)
Urias Federman Molina-Merlo was indicted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, second degree felony. The indictment alleges, on November 19, 2023, Molina-Merlo threatened Dylan Molina Torrez with imminent bodily injury by using and exhibiting a deadly weapon, namely a knife.
David Morgan Creel was indicted for obstruction or retaliation, third degree felony. The indictment alleges, on February 25, 2022, Creel threatened to harm another, to-wit: Gabriel Arndt, by an unlawful act, to-wit: leaving video messages to her relaying a threat to, "get back with me or I will have 15 cartel come to your house and do some vicious [expletive] to you," in retaliation for or on account of the service of Gabriel Arndt as a public servant, to-wit: Child Protective Service (CPS).
Mitchell Lynn Lawson was indicted for assault by choking, third degree felony. The indictment alleges, on January 3, 2024, Lawson recklessly caused bodily injury to Jeffrey Lawson a member of the defendant's family, by impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of Jeffrey Lawson by applying pressure to his throat or neck. (273rd Judicial District Court)
Benjamin Jemel Utley was indicted for fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, state jail felony. The indictment alleges, on April 13, 2016, Utley with intent to defraud or harm another and without consent of LouTex, obtained and used less than five items of identifying information of LouTex, namely financial institution account number. (273rd Judicial District Court)
Andrew Taylor Potter was indicted for assault peace officer/judge, second degree felony. The indictment alleges, on September 20, 2023, Potter recklessly caused bodily injury to Shelby County Sheriff's Investigator Aaron Jones by hitting Investigator Jones' hand with his head, and Potter knew Jones was a police officer and Jones was lawfully discharging an official duty, namely trying to restrain Potter. (123rd Judicial District Court)
Johnny Ray Taylor was indicted for assault family violence enhanced, third degree felony. The indictment alleges, on October 11, 2023, Taylor caused bodily injury to Olivia Canipe, a person with whom Taylor has or has had a dating relationship as described by the Texas Family Code, by striking her in the eye. Before the commission of the charged offense, Taylor had previously been convicted of a similar offense under the laws of another state to-wit: Louisiana. (123rd Judicial District Court)
Andrew Taylor Potter was indicted for obstruction or retaliation, third degree felony. The indictment alleges, on September 20, 2023, Potter threatened to commit an offense involving violence to a person, namely, "sick his dogs on Officer Jones," and, "you better watch your family when I get out of jail," with intent to place Aaron Jones in fear of imminent serious bodily injury, and Aaron Jones was a peace officer of the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. (123rd Judicial District Court)
Mark Dewayne Hubbard was indicted for credit card or debit card abuse, state jail felony. The indictment alleges, on November 27, 2023, Hubbard knowingly used a debit card, namely, Doches Credit Union debit card with knowledge the card had not been issued to Hubbard with knowledge that said card was not used with the consent of the cardholder, namely, Kaneisha Berry/Daniels. (273rd Judicial District Court)
(Some of the following content contained within indictments is of a sensitive nature and may not be suitable for younger viewers.)
Ty Camden Spurlock was indicted for indecency with a child sexual contact, second degree felony. The indictment alleges, on August 1, 2022, Spurlock engaged in sexual contact with a child less than 17 years of age with intent to arouse and gratify the sexual desire of Spurlock. (123rd Judicial District Court)
Ty Camden Spurlock was indicted for indecency with a child by exposure, third degree felony. The indictment alleges, on August 1, 2022, Spurlock exposed his genitals or any part thereof knowing a child less than 17 years of age was present with intent to arouse and gratify the sexual desire of Spurlock. The indictment further presents, Spurlock caused the alleged victim to expose their genitals. (123rd Judicial District Court)
Ty Camden Spurlock was indicted for sexual assault, second degree felony. The indictment alleges, on April 14, 2023, Spurlock caused the penetration of the female sexual organ of a child younger than 17 years of age and not the spouse of Spurlock by means of Spurlock's sexual organ. The indictment further alleges, Spurlock caused [oral sexual contact] of a child younger than 17 years of age and not the spouse of Spurlock. (123rd Judicial District Court)
(Dates in parenthesis indicate the date of the alleged incident):
- Gustavo Angel Pallares, possession of a controlled substance in Penalty Group 2 (PG2) (psilocin), second degree felony (January 2, 2023). (123rd Judicial District Court)
- Daniel Boyd Eaves, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B >=4G<200G (methamphetamine), second degree felony (June 1, 2023). (273rd Judicial District Court)
- Lawrence David Pierce, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B >=1G<4G (methamphetamine), third degree felony (October 3, 2022). (273rd Judicial District Court)
- Sherri Shires Lewing, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B <1G (methamphetamine), state jail felony (October 1, 2023). (123rd Judicial District Court)
- Michael Anthony Ratcliff Jr., possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B <1G (methamphetamine), state jail felony (August 24, 2023). (273rd Judicial District Court)
- Juan Carlos Salvador-Perez, felony driving while intoxicated, third degree felony (October 21, 2023). (273rd Judicial District Court)
- Clfford Neal Ruth, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B <1G (phencyclidine), state jail felony (November 26, 2023). (123rd Judicial District Court)
- Keith Issac Clary, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B <1G (methamphetamine), state jail felony (January 6, 2024). (123rd Judicial District Court)
Indictments and Information are not a conviction, and are a matter of public record. All individuals are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.
