An Elizabethton man faces multiple drug charges after officers of the Elizabethton Police Department executed a search warrant on his home.
Officers of the Elizabethton Police Department arrested Bobby Joe Wilson, 48, 162 Daniel Lane, Elizabethton, on Monday and charged him with maintaining a dwelling where drugs are manufactured or sold, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts of possession of Schedule II drugs, possession of Schedule III drugs, three counts of possession of a legend drug without a prescription, possession of Schedule IV drugs, possession of Schedule VI drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia and the sale of Schedule II drugs.
The charges against Wilson stem from an investigation into drug activity conducted by the EPD’s VICE unit.
According to court documents, on June 10, undercover officers with the Elizabethton Police Department conducted a controlled narcotics purchase with a confidential informant. The informant picked up Dallas Hartley Jr, 53, of 116 Hidden Oaks Drive, and then drove to Wilson’s home on Daniel Lane in the East Side community.
An undercover officer with the police department said Hartley exited the car and went inside the home on Daniel Lane and purchased two baggies containing a clear crystal substance that field tested positive as methamphetamine. Hartley then returned to the vehicle and delivered the baggies of meth to the confidential informant who had previously paid Hartley for the drugs using marked currency.
A few days later, on June 13, the undercover officers along with the Elizabethton Police Department’s Special Response Team executed a search warrant at Wilson’s home. When officers arrived to serve the search warrant they encountered Wilson, who said he resided at the home and had lived there for about 25 years.
During the search of the residence, officers located and seized several items as evidence, the undercover officer said. Among the items recovered at the home, according to police, were: Morphine, Buprenorphine (also known as Suboxone or Subutex), Carisoprodol, Promethazine, Baclofen, methamphetamine, marijuana, digital scales, metal weights, metal spoons with drug residue, several plastic baggies and various types of ammunition.
“Mr. Wilson was also in possession of a Taurus PT 738 .380 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber and a magazine loaded,” the undercover officer said.
Officers arrested Wilson on charges related to the drugs and other items found in the home and also served a warrant on him charging him with the sale of Schedule II drugs in connection with the drug transaction with the confidential informant and Hartley which happened on June 10. Hartley was arrested on Wednesday and also charged with the sale of Schedule II drugs in connection with the June 10 incident.
Wilson appeared in Carter County General Sessions Court on Tuesday where he was arraigned on the charges against him. Judge Keith Bowers Jr. set Wilson’s bond as a $20,000 corporate bond and scheduled him to return to court on July 19. When a bond is set as a corporate bond, the person must go through a professional bonding agency in order to post bond and be released from jail. Property cannot be put up against a corporate bond to secure someone’s release from jail.