A Newport man is facing a slate of drug charges after Cocke County deputies say an ongoing narcotics investigation turned up a sizeable stash of drugs and cash earlier this month. Deputies identified the suspect as Marty Grooms and said the arrest was part of a broader probe that has produced multiple sales and delivery charges. The sheriff’s office shared photos and a short write-up about the seizure on its Facebook page.
According to a Facebook post from the Cocke County Sheriff's Office, deputies arrested Grooms on Tuesday and reported recovering roughly 14.08 ounces of methamphetamine, about 2.68 ounces of heroin or fentanyl, alprazolam (Xanax) pills, and $884 in U.S. currency. The post lists charges including sale and delivery of alprazolam, sale and delivery of methamphetamine, and sale and delivery of heroin or fentanyl, along with possession of drug paraphernalia. The office also noted that "all defendants are innocent until proven guilty."
Booking and charges
Public intake logs list a "Marty D Grooms" as having been booked into the Cocke County Jail on Tuesday and facing multiple drug-related counts that line up with the charges described in the sheriff’s Facebook post. Formal court filings were not immediately available online at the time of publication. RecentlyBooked
What deputies say they seized
The Facebook post included photos of packaged substances, scales, and cash that deputies say were recovered at the scene. The office lists about 14.08 ounces of methamphetamine, 2.68 ounces of heroin or fentanyl, alprazolam pills, and $884 in U.S. currency as evidence. Cocke County Sheriff's Office
Context: fentanyl, meth and local enforcement
The reported seizure comes amid a statewide uptick in potent synthetic opioids and ongoing meth flows that have challenged forensic labs and prosecutors. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation notes that submissions of fentanyl and related analogues to its forensic labs have increased significantly in recent years, complicating investigations and fueling overdose concerns. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
Legal implications
Under Tennessee law, delivering or selling controlled substances is a felony offense governed by Tenn. Code Ann. §39-17-417, and penalties depend on the drug, the quantity involved, and a defendant's criminal history. Convictions for large quantity sales can carry multi-year prison terms, and statutory guidance, along with appellate decisions explains how those charges are classified and sentenced. Justia
Grooms remained in custody at the Cocke County Jail according to public intake records, and prosecutors will decide whether to file formal indictments. No hearing date was listed in the public booking entry as of publication. RecentlyBooked
