Man indicted for possessing shank in jail

JASPER COUNTY - by KJAS - A Jasper County man who was arrested and charged with failure to comply with sex offender regulations in January of this year is now accused of possessing a deadly weapon inside the Jasper County Jail. An indictment handed down on Tuesday by the Jasper County grand jury said that officers found a homemade knife, commonly known as a “shank” in 56 year old Thomas Van Hook’s possession.

Records show that Van Hook was originally arrested in 1995 for indecency with a child following an incident that occurred in Liberty County.

Grand jurors also indicted 23-year-old Taylor Griffith Miguez, of Port Neches, for possession of a controlled substance. The indictment says Miguez is accused of being in possession of methamphetamines on February 16th of this year.

Grand jurors indicted Kory Everett Kaine, age 28 of Buna, on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. The indictment said Kaine is accused of possessing methamphetamine on February 16 of this year.

Miguez and Kaine were two of the eleven people that were arrested when the Jasper County Sheriff's Department conducted a February drug-sweep at homes in Magnolia Springs, Kirbyville, and Buna.

Grand jurors also indicted 32-year-old Lanieka Denise Spikes of Jasper on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. The indictment said Spikes was in possession of cocaine on November 10th of 2008.

Also indicted was 29-year-old Michael Dwayne Bryant, of Jasper, for possession of a controlled substance. The indictment alleges that Bryant was in possession of cocaine on March 6th of 2008.

The grand jury indicted Leroy Jermaine Brown, age 29, of Jasper, on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. The indictment said Brown was in possession of cocaine on March 6th of this year.

Brown was also arrested by Jasper Police in March of this year, Brown, and 43-year-old Penny Stevens stand accused of burglarizing the Jasper Church of Christ.

Also indicted was 23-year-old Ashley Dawn Maness, of Woodville, on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. The indictment said Maness was in possession of cocaine on March 6th of 2008.

Maness was also arrested in January of this year when employees of the Family Dollar Store on South Wheeler Street told police that she was inside the store, and eating vienna sausage and canned cheese without paying for it.

The grand jurors handed down an indictment against Tyrone Grant, age 35, of Jasper, on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. The indictment alleges that Grant was in possession of cocaine on March 6th, 2008.

Grant was the same man who unsuccessfully ran from Jasper Police Chief Todd Hunter in February of 2008. Hunter said he recognized Grant, who had a felony theft warrant.

Billy Jack Tanton, age 32, of Jasper was indicted on a charge of burglary of a habitation. The indictment said Tanton burglarized the home of Donald Gilbert on March 16th of this year.

Also indicted was 57-year-old Tamara Louise Hill, of Jasper, on a July 3rd, 2009 charge of driving while intoxicated. According to the indictment, Hill was convicted of DWI in 1993 in Aransas County, and in 1997 in Harris County.

Pamela Denise Flanigan, age 47, of Buna, was indicted on an October 18th, 2007 charge of driving while intoxicated with a child, less than 15 years of age, in the vehicle.

A grand jury indictment does not mean that a person is guilty of a crime. It simply means that grand jurors believe that enough evidence exists to merit a trial.