Knoxville Man Charged In Federal Court With Fentanyl And Firearms Offenses

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On May 15, 2026, Seayon Weston, 39, of Knoxville, TN, was charged via criminal complaint with fentanyl and firearms offenses in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.

The complaint charges Weston with possessing with the intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of 18 U.S.C. 924(c), and being a felon in possession of firearms in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). The Honorable Jill E. McCook, United States Magistrate Judge, authorized the complaint.

According to the affidavit of DEA Special Agent Jason Klingler filed in support of the complaint, law enforcement's investigation into Weston's activities culminated in a search warrant execution at Weston's Knoxville residence on May 14, 2026. The affidavit details certain aspects of the search warrant execution, including the seizure of approximately 471 grams of suspected fentanyl, drug processing and packaging materials, including dozens of used rubber gloves, cash, and three firearms. One of the firearms was a mini-Draco 7.62 semi-automatic pistol, according to the affidavit. The affidavit included photographs of some of the seized evidence.

The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by elements of the Knoxville Police Department, including KPD's Special Operation Squad, Organized Crime Unit, and Drug Related Death Task Force. The Drug Enforcement Administration assisted with the investigation and search warrant execution and is the lead agency in this federal prosecution.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.

This case is part of "Operation Knoxville Thunder" in furtherance of DEA's Fentanyl Free America initiative, which is a comprehensive enforcement initiative and public awareness campaign designed to combat the synthetic opioid crisis.

On December 15, 2025, the President issued an Executive OrderLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.

Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Quencer and Alan Kirk will represent the United States in this prosecution.

###