Police serve search warrant at city home, arrest 1

Published 9:00 pm Monday, March 13, 2017

A city man faces criminal charges after police officers served a search warrant on his home Friday morning.
Officers with the Elizabethton Police Department arrested James Leroy Regenold, 55, of 514 Allen Ave., Elizabethton, and charged him with maintaining a dwelling where a controlled substance is manufactured/sold/delivered and possession of unlawful drug paraphernalia.
According to court documents, officers with the EPD executed a search warrant at Regenold’s home around 8 a.m. on Friday. Court documents note officers obtained the search warrant as part of an ongoing investigation into drug activity at the residence.
“Regenold has been allowing individuals to live at the residence in various rooms,” said an undercover EPD officer in the affidavit of complaint. “During the execution of the search warrant, officers discovered there were three other males residing at the residence.”
During the search, the undercover officers said police found evidence of drug use in the home as well as items of drug paraphernalia such as pipes, hypodermic syringes, a drug scale and prescription medication.
Officers reported finding a locked storage room in the home, and in court documents said Regenold was in possession of the key to the room. When officers searched the room they found items “consistent with someone manufacturing crack cocaine,” the undercover officer said.
“During the investigation, I discovered that Regenold was allowing individuals to sell and use crack cocaine inside of the residence,” the undercover officer said.
Officers arrested Regenold and transported him to the Carter County Detention Center. He remains held there under a $1,000 bond.
On Monday morning, Regenold appeared in Carter County General Sessions Court. Judge Keith Bowers Jr. reset the case for April 10 to allow Regenold time to hire an attorney to represent him.

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