An Anderson County man has been charged with five drug-related crimes after a search of a home near Rocky Top in February found large amounts of suspected methamphetamine, heroin, and other drugs.
Steven Arthur Seiber, 30, has been charged with manufacturing, delivering, or selling a Schedule II controlled substance: 300 grams or more of methamphetamine. That’s a Class A felony in Tennessee.
Affidavits, which include short narratives describing alleged crimes, said the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force in Anderson County found about 18 bags (roughly 18 ounces) of suspected crystal methamphetamine in the master bedroom of a home on Andys Ridge Road during a search Wednesday night, February 13. (There are 28.35 grams per ounce.)
Agents also found about 21 bags (roughly 21 grams) of suspected heroin in the master bedroom, according to the affidavits, which were filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge by CTF Director Simon Byrne.
The affidavits also said there was drug paraphernalia that included digital scales and clear plastic bags throughout the home and 26 suboxone strips in a safe in the living room. Suboxone can be used to treat opiate addiction.
Seiber lives at the Andys Ridge Road home, according to the affidavits. Andys Ridge Road is off Highway 116 southwest of Rocky Top.
After being advised of his Mirana rights, Seiber told the CTF he occasionally uses meth, but he had a large amount of it in order to sell it, the affidavits said. Seiber said he does not use heroin, and all of the heroin was for sale, the affidavits said.
“Since the service of the search warrant, agents have continued to receive creditable information that Seiber has been actively selling large amounts of both crystal meth and heroin,” Byrne wrote in the affidavits. He asked for an increased bond for Seiber.
Besides the felony methamphetamine charge, Seiber has also been charged with manufacturing, delivering, or selling a Schedule I controlled substance (a Class B felony); manufacturing, delivering, or selling a Schedule III controlled substance (a Class D felony); maintaining a dwelling (also a felony); and possession of drug paraphernalia (a misdemeanor).
Law enforcement officers announced the results of the search of the home on Andys Ridge Road in February, but they did not identify a suspect at that time.
Seiber was identified in court records after he was arrested August 30 and booked into the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton. His bond was set at more than $150,000, and he was released this month, according to court and jail records.
At the time of the February announcement, authorities said hundreds of prescription pills were also found during their search.
They estimated the approximate street value of the narcotics at $53,000.
“The seizure of these narcotics dealt a massive blow to the narcotics trade not only in Anderson County but all of East Tennessee,†Anderson County Sheriff Russell Barker said in February.
“A seizure of this size undoubtedly saved lives by preventing overdoses throughout East Tennessee,†Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark said.
Authorities are now waiting for crime laboratory results from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, where the seized substances were sent for analysis, and further action could be pending.
Seiber had an arraignment scheduled in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, and his next court date is scheduled for January 14.
Seiber is facing more charges from other cases, including assault, evading arrest, and resisting arrest, according to court records. In one of those cases, CTF agents contacted Seiber at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge on Friday, August 30, the day he was arrested on the drug charges, according to affidavits. Agents knew that Seiber had an active warrant in Wilson County, Tennessee, according to the affidavits, which were filed by Kenneth Woods of the CTF.
But after telling Seiber he was under arrest, Seiber tried to evade arrest by running away from CTF agents through the MMC parking lot, Woods wrote in the affidavits.
“Agents were able to catch Seiber after a short foot pursuit,” Woods said.
Seiber then resisted arrest, refusing to remove his arms from underneath his body, but agents were able to put him in handcuffs after a short struggle, Woods said.
In the February press release, Barker and Clark commended the agents of the CTF for their work. They said the collaborative effort between different law enforcement agencies continues to be the most effective way to deal with narcotics trafficking in the area. The Seventh Judicial Crime Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional task force comprised of the Seventh Judicial District Attorney General’s Office, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Clinton Police Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, Oliver Springs Police Department, and Rocky Top Police Department. The Crime Task Force focuses on drugs and violent crime, and it is led by Byrne.
See previous story here.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
You can contact John Huotari, owner and publisher of Oak Ridge Today, at (865) 951-9692 or [email protected].
Most news stories on Oak Ridge Today are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our advertisers, sponsors, and subscribers. This is a free story. Thank you to our advertisers, sponsors, and subscribers. You can see what we cover here.
Do you appreciate this story or our work in general? If so, please consider a monthly subscription to Oak Ridge Today. See our Subscribe page here. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today.
Copyright 2019 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Leave a Reply