Tuesday afternoon, Sgt. Craig Poole and White County Deputy Sheriff Randy Graves were notified of a theft that occurred from James McKinney’s hemp field located at 479 Co. Rd. 1925N in Enfield. James followed the suspect vehicle, a silver vehicle bearing Illinois passenger plates on Illinois Route 14 headed east into Carmi.
Deputies observed the vehicle just to the west of the Carmi City Limits. Sgt. Poole initiated a traffic stop and identified the driver as 58 year old, Karen Osborne, of Carmi, and three passengers, 55 year old, William L. Holloman, of Norris City, 30 year old, Shela M. Brewster, of Carmi, and 25 year old, Dustin A. G. Myers, of Carmi.
James told Officers an alarm on his hemp field sent a picture to his phone of the individuals in his field and he and Jamie L. Collier responded to the location, where he observed the suspect vehicle and began to follow it. James advised the vehicle pulled over and came to a stop. Upon speaking with the occupants about stealing his hemp plants, they opened the trunk and gave him three plants. Collier said she had taken pictures of the hemp plants in their trunk as they were getting the plants out. The vehicle then drove off and James followed the vehicle, calling the Sheriff’s Department to report the incident.
All four subjects were transported to the White County Jail, where Osborne, Brewster, and Myers remain held.
