A Greeneville man faces multiple charges after police say they found multiple types of drugs and meth making supplies in his possession during a traffic stop.
Officers of the Elizabethton Police Department arrested Matthew Paul Burrell, 31, of 215 Rader Sidetrack Road, Greeneville, and charged him with being a fugitive from justice out of the state of Florida, possession of drug paraphernalia, promotion of methamphetamine manufacture, possession of Schedule III drugs, and two counts of possession of Schedule II drugs.
During the early morning hours on Tuesday, EPD Cpl. Eric Buck conducted a traffic stop on a white Honda in the Milligan area after receiving word from undercover officers with the department’s VICE unit that the driver was wanted on an outstanding warrant out of the state of Florida. Buck said he stopped the vehicle, identified the driver as Burrell and confirmed that Burrell was in fact wanted by law enforcement officers in Marion County, Florida.
Buck arrested Burrell and charged him with being a fugitive from justice out of Florida. Shortly after the arrest, the undercover officers arrived on scene to speak with Burrell.
“I spoke with Mr. Burrell and asked if he had anything on his person,” one of the undercover officers said. “He advised he had a few needles and knife in his pocket.” Officers collected those items from Burrell’s pocket.
Because Burrell was being placed under arrest, officers inventoried his car prior to having it towed. During the vehicle inventory, officers located a metal pill fob containing two plastic baggies that held sublingual strips of the prescription medication Suboxone and a baggie with a white powdery substance which was preliminarily identified as methamphetamine.
Officers also report finding several types of batteries, a digital scale, an empty bottle of lighter fuel, two cellular telephones, a Dr. Enuf bottle containing a clear liquid that Burrell identified as lighter fuel and a plastic baggie containing a powder substance that Burrell identified as residue from a cold compress.
“While answering questions, Mr. Burrell admitted to manufacturing methamphetamine,” the undercover officer said.
According to officers, when they conducted a search of Burrell’s person before taking him to jail they located an Oxycodone pill in his pocket.
Burrell appeared in Carter County General Sessions Court on Monday where he was arraigned on the charges against him. Judge Keith Bowers appointed the Public Defender’s Office to represent Burrell and set his bond at $90,000. He is scheduled to return to General Sessions Court on March 15.