NASHVILLE − Plaintiff James Swain Rieves, a former Smyrna business owner, who faced “Operation Candy Crush” false arrest drug dealer charges, seeks $10 million in his federal lawsuit against Rutherford County and Smyrna.
Unlike other original store-owning plaintiffs of 23 padlocked businesses, Rieves refused to accept a settlement that totaled $1.3 million for the others from a false arrest and shop seizure Feb. 12, 2018, at his Cloud 9 Hemp business that had been located in Smyrna’s historic Depot District by the CSX railroad and off U.S. Highway 41.
Charges against Rieves were later dismissed.
Rieves sought a jury trial this week after filing a lawsuit against Rutherford Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh and retired Smyrna Police Chief Kevin Arnold.
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of violating the plaintiff’s Fourth Amendment Rights through illegal searches and seizures at his business that had made an income of about $237,000 in 2017 through manufacturing and marketing online products made with legal hemp.