Knoxville Fugitive Jerry Greenlee Wanted Across Three Counties, Cash Reward Offered

Law enforcement across three East Tennessee counties is asking the public to help locate Jerry Wayne Greenlee, a 48-year-old man wanted on a violation of probation stemming from a felony evading arrest charge. Greenlee stands 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighs 140 pounds, was born January 8, 1978, and his last known address was on Sevier Avenue in Knoxville.

The case was featured Wednesday as part of a Wanted Wednesday bulletin from East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers, working alongside the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and the Knoxville Police Department. According to the bulletin, Greenlee has ties to Knox, Sevier, and Jefferson counties, with known addresses spanning all three jurisdictions — a detail that helps explain why the search for him has drawn in agencies beyond a single city or county line.

Why the Search Spans Multiple Jurisdictions

Greenlee's history of movement across Knox, Sevier, and Jefferson counties is precisely the kind of case East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers' regional network was designed to handle. The nonprofit launched May 1, 2021, through a joint Knoxville City Council and police initiative, and now partners with more than 30 law enforcement agencies across East Tennessee, including municipal departments and county sheriff's offices.

That structure has produced measurable results. From its 2021 launch through December 2023, the organization processed 6,072 anonymous tips, leading to 118 arrests, 70 fugitive apprehensions, 155 cleared cases, and $49,500 paid out in rewards, per the Crime Stoppers' own tracked figures.

What Greenlee Could Face if Convicted

Under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-16-603(b), evading arrest in a motor vehicle is a Class E felony, carrying a sentence of one to six years in prison, a mandatory minimum of 30 days confinement, and a driver's license suspension of six months to two years, according to Justia Law. The charge can escalate further: if the flight from police creates a risk of death or injury to bystanders or other third parties, it becomes a Class D felony punishable by two to 12 years in prison and fines up to $5,000, per an analysis from the Oberman & Rice Law Firm. That same analysis notes the charge can rise even higher, to a Class C or Class A felony, if an officer suffers serious injury or death during the pursuit.

Because Greenlee's current warrant is for a probation violation rather than a new charge, the legal bar he faces is lower than a criminal trial. Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-311 allows the state to prove a probation violation by a preponderance of the evidence rather than beyond a reasonable doubt, according to the Brooks Law Firm, meaning a judge could revoke his probation and reinstate the original prison sentence tied to the evading arrest case. The dossier does not specify the underlying conviction that first placed Greenlee on probation, nor the exact circumstances of the original evading arrest incident.

How to Submit a Tip, and What It Could Pay

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward, though only tips submitted directly through the organization that lead to an arrest are eligible for payment. The nonprofit's standard rewards run up to $2,000 for information that leads to an arrest or fugitive capture, with that amount doubled for tips involving crimes against children or first responders, per the organization's published reward structure.

To protect anonymity, the group operates phone lines without caller ID, does not track IP addresses on its website, and pairs tip numbers with cash payouts through partner bank accounts rather than collecting tipster names. Anyone with information on Greenlee's whereabouts can call **TIPS or 877-363-8847, text ETTips to 738477, submit a tip through the P3Tips app, or file a report online at EastTNValleyCrimeStoppers.org. Residents with non-emergency information unrelated to wanted fugitives are directed instead to the Knoxville Police Department's non-emergency line at 865-215-4010.

Part of a Broader Public Safety Picture

The search for Greenlee comes as Knoxville has reported notable improvements in violent crime trends. The Knoxville Police Department recorded a 26 percent drop in homicides and a 27 percent decline in non-fatal shootings in 2025, and the city logged zero homicides in the first quarter of 2026 — its first murder-free quarter since 1988, according to prior Hoodline reporting. Greenlee's case is the latest in a string of Wanted Wednesday bulletins the organization has issued in recent weeks, following an elder abuse fugitive search and a separate appeal in a stolen car scam case.