CHEROKEE CO. DEPUTY, JAILER CHARGED

More Drug-Related Charges May Be Filed Against The Pair Today

A Cherokee County sheriff's deputy and a jailer on paid leave since Friday
were charged Wednesday with misdemeanor and/or felony drug-related charges.

Both employees will be dismissed from duty today, Sheriff Norman Fisher said.

Deputy Dusty Glyn Ryals, 21, of Tahlequah was charged with felony
possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, and two
misdemeanors, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jailer Lynn McClain Trammel, 20, is charged with misdemeanor possession of
drug paraphernalia consisting of two plastic "snorting" pipes.

There may be some additional charges today, according to District Attorney
Richard Gray, chief prosecutor in Cherokee, Adair, Sequoyah and Wagoner
counties. Gray said Ryals and Trammel have until 10 a.m. today to turn
themselves in at the sheriff's office.

The deputy and the jailer admitted to District Attorney Investigator Clint
Johnson and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Vicky M.
Lyons they had smoked methamphetamine, according to a Wednesday affidavit
provided by Lyons that Gray filed in the criminal case.

An investigation began last week after Johnson developed evidence and
witness statements that Trammel and Ryals were introducing methamphetamine
into the Cherokee County Jail for use by inmates, the affidavit states.

"They admitted to the OSBI agent and Clint Johnson they had smoked
methamphetamine," Fisher said, referring to the OSBI affidavit.

Some of the marijuana found in Ryals' room bore evidence labels. Ryals said
the suspected marijuana was evidence that he took home with him at the
direction of a supervisor because they were unable to secure the evidence
at the sheriff's office at that time. Another Copenhagen can containing
marijuana found in the home was not evidence, Fisher said.

The OSBI affidavit states Ryals admitted using methamphetamine he alleged
he had obtained from a jail trustee and continued to deny he took the drug
to jail inmates.

Trammel told both Lyons and Johnson that he had obtained the
methamphetamine he had smoked earlier from Ryals, who he alleged obtained
it from a jail trustee, the affidavit states.

Trammel, too, continued to deny involvement in drug trafficking at the jail
but admitted that "everyone knew" that drug use was going on in the jail,
the affidavit states.

Ryals has been a deputy since Fisher took office in January. Trammel has
been a jailer for about five weeks, Fisher said.

"Right is right and wrong is wrong," Fisher said. "Just because you wear
the badge doesn't mean you have the right to break the laws.

"It's an unfortunate incident that won't be tolerated in my administration.
. I just want the people to know that whatever is right is what we're
going to do."