A federal grand jury in Chattanooga had indicted Eugene Allen Trent, 50, on Tuesday on multiple counts, including conspiring to manufacture more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, conspiring to distribute iodine knowing or having reasonable cause to believe it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine, and eight counts of distributing iodine knowing or having reasonable cause to believe it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine.
The indictment remains sealed and includes similar charges against other individuals in East Tennessee, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The investigation involved numerous undercover purchases, numerous traffic stops and two federal search warrants.
Authorities executed a search warrant about 10:30 a.m. today at Trent's Carriage Hill Feed and Supply, 1216 Hwy. 321 in Lenoir City.
At the same time another search warrant was served at the Rogersville location where Trent was working and was taken into custody.
He is scheduled to appear Friday before a U.S. magistrate judge in Chattanooga.
If Trent is convicted of the methamphetamine charge, he faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $4 million. On the iodine charges, he faces 10 years in prison for each charge, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The multi-agency investigation included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Loudon County, Roane County, Rhea County and Cumberland County sheriff's departments and the Tennessee Meth Task Force.