Leonta Demon Epps
A Chattanooga man who spent time in federal prison before has been arrested on federal drug charges.
A federal indictment says Leonta Demon Epps, 28, was selling crack cocaine on Sept. 23.
On October 16, 2011, law enforcement officers responded to a suspicious person call at 4009 Fagan St.
The suspect was described as a man with dreadlocks wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans. Officers saw an individual, later identified as Epps, matching the description from the call. Officers learned that the defendant was prohibited from trespassing at 4009 Fagan St. Officers discovered a loaded Ruger P-85 9mm handgun in his waistband. Epps told police that he was carrying the firearm because his cousin had been shot the night before on the same street.
In 2013, he was sentenced to serve 21 months in federal prison on that gun charge.
In 2017, Epps and Jewone Colvin were charged in connection with an armed robbery on Watkins Street.
In the incident on June 30, a man said two people he knew as "Elks" and "Wonkee" hit him over the head with a handgun then held him down and robbed him. He said they took $2,300-$2,700 in cash that was in his pocket.
The victim said they left in a white SUV west on E. 19th Street.
An officer monitoring radio traffic said "Elks" was Leonta Epps and "Wonkee" was Jewone Colvin. He said Colvin is known to drive a white Chrysler SUV.
Officers spotted a white Chrysler SUV in the area of E. 37th Street and Rossville Boulevard occupied by two men. When officers tried to stop the vehicle, it took off and led police on a chase into Walker County, Ga. The Georgia State Patrol took over the pursuit.
A trooper obtained dash cam video of the end of the pursuit, which captured the pair attempting to flee on foot. Both were apprehended and identified as Epps and Colvin.
Colvin was in possession of a large amount of cash and a large amount of marijuana. A handgun was not located.
That aggravated robbery charge against Epps was later dismissed.