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UCSD disrupts drug activity involving high school students

By Jim Wozniak
Erwin Bureau Chief
jwozniak@johnsoncitypress.com

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ERWIN — Spurred by tips from the schools director, the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department spent the weekend busting drug activity involving students at the high school, Sheriff Kent Harris said Sunday.

Another person who was a piece of the drug puzzle but not a high school student has slipped by for now. He picked up money Sunday for marijuana but did not return with the drug, Harris said. Nonetheless, he will be charged, the sheriff said.

Schools Director Denise Brown, who worked with Harris on the cases, was present Sunday night with him in case this latest defendant was arrested. Multiple people were charged over the weekend.

The sheriff said drug activity has been slow at the high school lately, but he was disappointed in what has transpired lately.

“It’s disturbing, but I hope that we can convey a message — because it’s a serious message — that we’re not going to tolerate it,” Harris said.

He said the sheriff’s department’s involvement began on Friday after Brown passed on information about $10 worth of marijuana being sold at the high school track. The sheriff’s department learned a female Unicoi County High School student had bought that much marijuana on Wednesday after school hours. She was charged.

“We pieced together who sold her that,” Harris said. “Through that information, we found out that these particular people were selling more marijuana — small amounts.”

One high school student who was involved in that sale was arrested on Friday. The other person involved in selling to her, who is 18 but whose name Harris does not want released, was arrested on Saturday.

The sheriff’s department hoped to arrest him on Friday, but that fell through. Sgt. Frank Rogers found him Sunday morning in neighboring Madison County, N.C., and has charged him.

As the sheriff’s department worked on the marijuana cases, it charged in an unrelated case two girls who were swapping prescription pills at the high school.

Harris said the sheriff’s department worked on the cases over the weekend because word will spread today in the high school.

“The good thing still is the good students up here far outweigh the ones that are involved in stuff like this,” Harris said.