Professional Criminal Convicted of Trafficking Heroin

Prosecutors in DA Charme Allen’s Felony Drug Unit obtained a conviction against a professional criminal with eighteen prior felony convictions who was trafficking heroin from his residence near Knoxville Center Mall. Dale Vinson Merritt, 46, of Detroit, Michigan, was convicted of Possession with Intent to Sell Heroin over 15 Grams. Judge Steve Sword set the case for sentencing on January 27.

At trial, Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Irvine explained to the jury that on November 20, 2014, Knoxville Police Department Officers Phil Jinks, Adam Broome, and Mike Waggoner went to Merritt’s residence at 5536 Kalispell Way to serve an arrest warrant on Merritt for a previous controlled buy of heroin. When Merritt opened the door, officers could smell both raw and burnt marijuana. As officers served Merritt with the arrest warrant, his girlfriend and a small child came to the door. The girlfriend gave consent to search the residence. In addition to finding marijuana, officers found four firearms and a small safe. After obtaining a search warrant to open the safe, officers found nearly seventy grams of heroin, multiple digital scales, and small plastic bags used to package heroin for resale. Heroin is typically sold in a”point” or 0.1 grams, thus, the amount of heroin Merritt possessed was approximately seven hundred units with a street value around $20,000.

Merritt is facing between twelve and twenty years in prison on this conviction. He is currently serving a seventeen-year sentence for selling heroin to an informant working for KPD in October 2014. In addition to finding Merritt guilty, the jury assessed a fine of $100,000. At sentencing, prosecutors will argue that Merritt is a professional criminal who has devoted his life to criminal acts as a major source of livelihood. In support of this argument, the State will introduce Merritt’s eighteen prior felony convictions for offenses ranging from dealing drugs to weapons offenses to assaults. Because of his lengthy criminal history, prosecutors will ask to run the sentence in this case consecutive to the sentence he is already serving.

If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.