Maryville man connected to 27 Blount County burglaries
From Staff Reports
Authorities said at least 27 Blount County burglaries were solved Wednesday morning with the arrest of a Maryville man at his Montvale Road residence.
Tony Edwin McClurg, 35, faces charges of theft, possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance (marijuana), possession of a Schedule III controlled substance (Hydrocodone) and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond and court dates had not been set Wednesday night.
The arrest came after a search warrant was executed at McClurg’s residence Wednesday morning, according to a Blount County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) news release. Members of the 5th Judicial Drug Task Force, the BCSO SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team recovered stolen property, narcotics and firearms, the release said.
The case was initiated by a BCSO patrolman who began investigating a series of burglaries in Blount County several weeks ago, the Sheriff’s Office said. His investigation led him to McClurg, whom he allegedly discovered was taking in stolen property.
During Wednesday’s search, police said they found several items connected to some of those burglaries, including firearms, electronics and power tools. Agents also discovered three ounces of marijuana, Hydrocodone pills and drug paraphernalia.
Maryville Police Department also has theft charges pending on McClurg.
Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp said his department’s investigation is ongoing. While Crisp couldn’t say how many burglaries McClurg may be connected to, he identified the incidents being investigated as auto burglaries.
“We anticipate charges may be filed at a later date,” Crisp said. “We have recovered property as a result of (Wednesday’s search) that’s indicative they have been involved in auto burglaries in our jurisdiction.”
