WARREN COUNTY, Tenn. — 30-Minutes away from Murfreesboro, deputies with the Warren County Sheriff's Office pulled over a subject during a traffic stop that was conducted during a saturated patrol mission that led to the arrest of a wanted sex offender. The stop occurred on the frigid evening of January 23, 2026, and ultimately equaled the man being apprehended because he was accused of multiple violations, including drug possession and failing to register as a sex offender in Tennessee.

According to authorities, officers stopped a vehicle driven by Gary Lee McGrew and determined that he was operating the vehicle on a suspended driver’s license. As the investigation continued, officers learned that McGrew was living in Tennessee as an unregistered sex offender originating from the state of Oregon, which is more than 2-thousand miles west of McMinnville, TN - - the area in which he was in when caught.

McGrew was taken into custody, and a subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a clear plastic bag containing a white, crystal-like substance, believed to be methamphetamine. Officers also reported locating a small amount of marijuana in the car.

McGrew was booked into the Warren County Jail, where he remains incarcerated. Bond has been set at $56,000. Additional charges related to the investigation may be pending.

PAST HISTORY of SUSPECT: McGrew’s name and photograph have circulated online for years, appearing on multiple news and law enforcement websites tied to prior cases in Oregon. Records indicate that in 2025, the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office was actively seeking McGrew on a warrant for failing to report as a sex offender. That was not an isolated incident, as his history of being wanted by authorities stretches back more than a decade. In 2018, he was sought on a contempt of court charge, and in 2017 faced charges including identity theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, and theft. Earlier cases date back to 2013, when Yamhill County authorities were looking for McGrew for failing to appear in court on charges that included unlawful possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, and failing to register as a sex offender. He was ultimately captured on a bench warrant later that year and taken into custody in Newberg, Oregon.

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