White County Sheriff’s officials served an arrest warrant Friday evening in Mill Shoals. That man is now free after spending the weekend behind bars in White County. It was just before 7:30 Friday when a deputy placed 53-year-old Justin Downen of Fairfield in cuffs on a Failure to Appear warrant in connection to a January of this year arrest on charges of Improper Use of Registration/Title and No Stop Lights. In court Monday morning, the traffic infraction of driving without functioning taillights was dismissed and the court withheld judgment on the Improper Use of Registration/Title charge in favor of giving Downen a year of supervision and a fine. Downen was due in court on both February 3rd and March 3rd but failed to appear prompting the warrant.
20-year-old Atleigh Groff of Carmi is out on pre-trial release following her arrest Friday evening.
A sergeant with the Sheriff’s Department says he pulled over Groff on Fairground Road just before 10:30pm for driving without headlights. A probable cause search was conducted after law enforcement say they detected a strong odor of raw cannabis, and they discovered pot in a sandwich baggie and also 30 Alprazolam pills. Groff is facing charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance, Illegal Possession of Cannabis in a Motor Vehicle and also given citations for Operation of a Motor Vehicle without Insurance and Operating a Motor Vehicle without Headlamps. Groff had a first appearance Monday morning and is due back for a preliminary hearing on May 13th.
A Jonesboro, Illinois man is back in Union County following his arrest Saturday afternoon in Crossville. A deputy was dispatched to Superior Avenue there just after 2pm in reference to suspicious activity and a noise complaint. There, law enforcement came into contact with Gary Allen and found him to be wanted on a Failure to Appear felony warrant for Criminal Damage to Property in Union County. Allen was taken into custody and is expected to be transferred to authorities there.
44-year-old James Brinkley of Harrisburg is free on pre-trial release after a court date Monday in Carmi. Just after 11:30pm, the White County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a transfer coming in via transport. The Saline County man was wanted on a Failure to Appear warrant in relation to an October of 2025 charge of Theft. Brinkley has already been arrested on a warrant once related to this case in late February after failing to appear. Brinkley would then once again fail to appear for a first appearance on April 1st prompting the issuance of another warrant. He appeared before Judge Webb via video court Monday and was released. He’ll be due for a preliminary hearing on May 13th.
A Carmi man out on probation was arrested for violating that order Monday morning. 28-year-old Chance Grein was taken into custody at the probation office just before 11am after Grein allegedly admitted to using drugs.
A Sheriff’s Deputy arrested soon to be 21-year-old Isaiah Deem Thursday morning at the Probation office in Carmi. Dispatch advised Deem
was in the lobby and had an active warrant. That warrant is in relation to a Failure to Appear in a case where Deem is charged for Possession of Meth. Deem was in and out of jail within an hour.
Thursday night, a White County Sheriff’s Deputy says he saw a white 2002 Dodge pickup travelling north out of Norris City and observed the vehicle leave the roadway multiple times prompting a traffic stop. The driver, 61-year-old Henry Pierce of Enfield then told the deputy he had bad vision due to strokes according to the report. Upon checking with dispatch, the deputy learned Pierce was driving on a suspended license. Pierce was taken into custody on that charge and also given a citation for Improper Lane Usage. He would be released shortly after booking and will be due in White County court on May 12th at 9am for a first appearance.