NEWPORT- Cocke County Sheriff Armando Fontes has had to hit the pavement running since taking office Wednesday, Sept. 1.

There were two major marijuana drug busts in Cocke County this week: one on Tuesday, a day before Fontes took over as sheriff; and another one on Wednesday, the day he took office, when three people at a Hartford residence were arrested on drug-related charges.

The second case lead to an internal investigation initiated by the sheriff into a deputy sheriff recently hired by the outgoing sheriff and who owns the property that had a total of 17 marijuana plants, some inside a camper trailer and some planted on his property.

The deputy sheriff, whose name the sheriff did not release, was placed on administrative leave following questioning of him by Fontes Friday afternoon.

The two adults and one 17-year-old at the Hartford residence were arrested. One adult was charged with manufacturing marijuana, possession of Schedule VI for resale, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The other adult was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

The 17-year-old minor was charged with manufacturing marijuana and possession of Schedule VI for resale, and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was an active participant in the illegal activity, Sheriff Fontes said.

When investigating officers reached the property, they noticed a suspected marijuana pipe sitting on top of a shelf in the camper trailer.

After acquiring consent to search, they allegedly found three marijuana pipes, rolling papers, scales, a grinder, and green leafy substance in several sandwich bags which weighed 850 grams.

Ten green leafy plants believed to be marijuana were inside the camper. An investigation outside the camper found seven growing plants approximately four- to five-feet tall and three marijuana stalks.

The juvenile stated she smoked rolled marijuana cigarettes with her brother two or three times a week.

All three arrested are relatives of the deputy sheriff, but all three claim he was not involved with their illegal drug manufacturing activity on his property. The deputy sheriff, who is attending the police academy in Greeneville on Monday through Friday, apparently stayed in a separate trailer on the property on weekends only. No drugs were found in his trailer, Fontes said. (The sheriff explained that newly hired deputy sheriffs have one year from the date of their hire to attend and graduate from the police academy.)

Fontes said Friday before questioning the deputy sheriff he wanted to know why the officer did not at least report the five-foot high marijuana plant growing out in the open in a stretch of land with Kudzu just opposite the entrance to the driveway to his property.

Fontes, John Carrell, Constable McRee Whitten and Deputy Sheriff Tony Bailey helped with the investigation and arrests.