Jackson police have charged the man who promoted the July 13 party at Club Sinsations on the night Raymon Carpenter, of Nashville, was murdered.
26-year-old Tobious Blackwell, of Oakfield, surrendered at 5 a.m. Thursday morning at the Jackson Police Department. He was transported to the Madison County Jail for booking and held for 8 a.m. arraignment in Jackson City Court.
Blackwell was arraigned on a charge of deceptive business practices. Blackwell's bond was set at $3,000. He posted bond and was released around 9:30 a.m.
Blackwell's next scheduled court date is Aug. 15 at 1:30 p.m. in City Court.
Deceptive business practices Tenn. Code Ann. 39-14-127 is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a maximum sentence of 6 months in jail and up to a $500 fine.
On July 14 at 1:13 a.m., an officer was special patrolling Club Sinsations at 13 Bond Street and heard gunshots in the area. Officers responded to the business and found Carpenter, 26, lying on the parking lot with gunshot wounds.
Carpenter was transported by ambulance to Jackson-Madison County General Hospital and was pronounced dead around 2:30 a.m.
During the ongoing homicide investigation, investigators learned that Blackwell promoted the party at Club Sinsations. According to investogators, at Blackwell's direction a flyer was produced advertising the party as "Andrea's (AKA) 'Booch' B-Day Bash". According to the flyer, the doors opened at 10 p.m. on July 13.
Police say that according tho their investigation, Blackwell promoted the party via the Internet, Facebook and Twitter. The distributed flyer read "Outside Security Provided by JPD".
Blackwell rented the building from Anthony Stokes who had a previous agreement for security services with the City of Jackson for police officers to furnish security in the exterior areas and on the parking lots. The agreement was signed in 2010, but the agreement was terminated in 2011 due to Stokes violating the terms of the agreement.
Blackwell was aware that there was no longer a contractual agreement between the City of Jackson and Club Sinsations. Blackwell was aware that Stokes had requested a special patrol for the party in lieu of security. Blackwell was also aware of the difference between the police department providing a "special patrol" and parking lot "security".
The investigation determined that Blackwell made a false or misleading statement in advertisement addressed to the public for the purpose of promoting the party.
The homicide investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Jackson Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit at 731-425-8400 or Crime Stoppers at 731-424-8477 (TIPS).
