Four local men arrested in Knoxville, Tenn. on drug charges

An alleged drug transaction in a motel parking lot near Knoxville last week sent three Williamsburg residents and a Jellico man to a Tennessee jail.

Knox County Tenn. Deputy James Troutt Jr. charged Larry W. Taylor, 52, of 2070 South US25W; Larry W. Shelton, 51, of 112 Red Witt Road; Jerry W. King, 52, of 1629 Black Oak Road; and Jeffrey Blake Rogers, 41, of Jellico; with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute/resale.
The incident happened about 1:54 p.m. on Aug. 8.

Knox County Sheriff’s narcotics officers were in the area of 323 East Emory Road conducting a narcotics’ investigation when they observed two vehicles parked in the Super 8 parking lot with no other vehicles around, according to a sheriff’s department arrest report.

"As officers approached the vehicles, the occupants became nervous and started to move around," the report stated.
Inside one vehicle, officers observed Rogers in the front passenger side where they discovered about 50 pills under the seat and another 50 pills in a prescription bottle in the floorboard where he sat, the report stated.

The blue colored pills appeared to be 30-mg Roxycontin. Officers also discovered an envelope with an unknown amount of U.S. currency under the radio next to Rogers, according to the report.

Rogers told police that he and the other suspects had come to that location to purchase 100 pills and that he was going to profit $100 for arranging the transaction. He also told police that other suspects all gave him money to purchase the pills, the report alleged.

Rural Metro transported King to Mercy North Hospital after he lost consciousness at the scene.

"Suspects Larry Taylor, Jerry King and Larry Shelton all refused to answer questions without an attorney present after being read their Miranda rights," the report stated.

"With my experience as a police officer, it is my belief that more likely than not all currency was used to purchase illegal narcotics and the vehicle was used to transport them."

The vehicle, cash and drugs were all seized by police.

Rogers and King were arraigned from the Knox County Detention Center on Aug. 9. Taylor and Shelton are scheduled to have bonded arraignments this week. Preliminary hearings for all four are scheduled Friday.