Narcotics agents with the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office say a Tuesday night search in Newport turned up hundreds of pressed tablets that appeared to be fentanyl and alprazolam, capping another high-stakes drug raid in the county.
On April 21, deputies served a search warrant at 323 Tedder Drive in Newport, where they took two people into custody and photographed what they say was narcotics evidence found inside the home. The operation was described as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation in Cocke County.
What deputies say they found
According to a Facebook post from the Cocke County Sheriff's Office, narcotics agents executed the search warrant at 323 Tedder Drive and recovered multiple batches of pressed tablets. Deputies reported a combined total of roughly 215 suspected fentanyl/Xanax pills.
The social media post listed separate counts for white, green, and blue pressed pills and showed photos of the packaged evidence. It also said narcotics agents were backed up by detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division and patrol deputies.
The sheriff’s office identified one suspect as Craig Owen Sparks, who the post said faces three counts related to Schedule II possession, along with an unlawful drug paraphernalia charge. A second person with the last name Weidner was described as facing paraphernalia charges and a count of possessing a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.
Local context
The latest raid comes on the heels of other recent narcotics operations in Cocke County, including a February bust that turned up methamphetamine, fentanyl, and alprazolam pills.
Across Tennessee, authorities and crime-lab submissions have shown fentanyl and other synthetic opioids increasing in cases sent to state labs, a trend documented by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. That shift has put extra pressure on rural agencies that are now encountering more potent pressed pills in local drug markets.
Legal implications
Under Tennessee law, possessing a controlled substance with the intent to sell or deliver is a felony offense outlined in Tenn. Code §39-17-417. Rules on unlawful drug paraphernalia use appear in §39-17-425.
State materials also note that employing or possessing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony can trigger additional penalties and mandatory minimum prison time, according to a Tennessee General Assembly fiscal memo.
The Cocke County Sheriff’s Office emphasized that all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Booking records and formal court filings were not immediately available, and prosecutors will decide whether to pursue indictments in Cocke County courts.
