Metro Nashville police say a 51-year-old man wanted on a staggering stack of warrants is finally in custody after officers caught up with him at a motel on Elm Hill Pike. Investigators arrested Tarice Lamont Smith on Friday, saying they found cash and several stolen credit cards on him at the time. Smith had been wanted on 35 outstanding warrants linked to identity theft, credit-card fraud and related offenses, according to police.
Arrest and charges
According to investigators, those outstanding warrants cover a long list of alleged crimes: 14 counts of credit-card fraud, 12 counts of identity theft, four counts of theft, two probation violations, one burglary, one burglary of a motor vehicle and one count of criminal impersonation. Detectives from the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Vehicle Crimes Unit, working with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, tracked Smith to the Elm Hill Pike motel before taking him into custody. Officials said additional charges are expected to be filed in jurisdictions around Nashville as detectives sort through evidence, as reported by WKRN.
Pattern investigators flagged
Investigators say Smith’s alleged playbook has been consistent for years. According to MNPD, he is accused of slipping into non-public areas of businesses, including employee breakrooms, then stealing wallets and credit cards from purses before using them to buy thousands of dollars in merchandise. A Metro Nashville Police Department media release from March 2024 described the same pattern and urged anyone with tips to contact Crime Stoppers, in a press release via Metro Nashville Police Department.
Legal status and what’s next
Court records show Smith is no stranger to the system. He has prior convictions for theft, credit-card fraud and forgery in multiple counties, and previously received a six-year probated sentence after convictions for identity theft and credit-card fraud, according to WKRN. Authorities say he will be booked locally and returned to Davidson County to face the outstanding warrants while detectives coordinate with neighboring counties on additional cases. The department says investigators are still building files and is asking anyone with video or information to step forward.
How to help
Police are still trying to determine the full scope of the case and potential additional victims. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463 or file a report through MNPD’s non-emergency line, the department said in a media release via Metro Nashville Police Department. Tips can be submitted anonymously and may be eligible for a reward.
