PINEVILLE, KY - The Bell County Sheriff's Department is reporting that on Monday, March 6, 2023, Jailer Robin Venable charged an inmate and later a co-conspirator was charged by K-9 Sgt. Adam Southern regarding contraband.
Venable stated in a citation that 44-year-old Robert Brock of Pineville, KY made an attempt to have contraband consisting of tobacco and pills dropped off on the property of the facility. Before the package made it inside, it was recovered by jail staff and turned over to Bell County Deputies.
L to R: Robert Brock and David Janis
Brock admitted to Venable that he had been expecting the package to be left by 41-year-old David Janis of Harrogate, TN, who was taken into custody Tuesday night March 7, 2023 by Bell County Sgt. Frank Foster.
Robert Brock was charged with:
- Conspiracy to promote contraband - 1st degree
David Janis was charged with:
- Promoting contraband - 1st degree
This individual was lodged in the Bell County Detention Center.
Separate Incident
L to R: Michelle Irene Rye, Jason Dye and Justin Davis
Michelle Irene Rye, 32-year-old of Pineville, KY was arrested on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 by Sgt. Southern for her role in leaving drugs to be picked up at the direction of inmate Jason Dye, age 38 of Calvin, KY.
On Thursday, January 26, 2023, while a female jail staff member was outside the detention center, she heard an alarm and looked down to see an Arby’s cup with several items inside including a cell phone, charger, and what was determined to be Suboxone.
After looking up the number in the cell phone, it was determined to be registered to Dye. It was also determined that inmate Dye along with inmate Justin Davis, age 40 of Middlesboro, KY had conversations with Rye in regard to dropping off the items.
Once interviewed, both men admitted to being involved in the incident and that the plan was to have a trustee retrieve the items.
Michelle Rye was charged with:
- Promoting Contraband – 1st degree
Rye was additionally charged with:
- a probation violation
This individual was lodged in the Bell County Detention Center.
Jason Dye and Justin Davis have been charged with:
- Promoting Contraband – 1st degree
Photos of the accused are courtesy of the Bell County Detention Center.
