KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after he was found with 20 grams of methamphetamine in the parking lot of an elementary school, according to officials.
The District Attorney's office said that 38-year-old Michael Robert Quinn was convicted of possession with intent to sell or deliver methamphetamine in a drug-free zone, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving on a suspended license, and failure to provide proof of insurance.
A press release states that Judge Steve Sword sentenced Quinn to serve 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
In a two-day trial in November, prosecutors said Quinn's truck was found in the parking lot of Pleasant Ridge Elementary School on Nov. 18, 2019. They said he was pulled over shortly after leaving the school and arrested by the Knoxville Police Department for driving on a suspended license and on an outstanding warrant for driving on a suspended license.
A K-9 unit alerted police that narcotics could have been in his truck, so an investigator searched it. The investigator said he found four bags of methamphetamine, totaling approximately 20 grams, as well as a digital pocket scale and two cell phones.
The District Attorney's Office said the investigator obtained a search warrant to search the two cell phones and found multiple messages proving that Quinn possessed the methamphetamine with the intent to sell and/or deliver it. A special agent from the TBI analyzed the seized drugs and confirmed it was methamphetamine.
Officials said Quinn also has 11 prior felony convictions for violence, drug dealing, and property damage. Those convictions include arson, attempted burglary, reckless endangerment, theft, and cocaine distribution.
“The lengthy sentence in this case should deter dealers from bringing drugs around the children of our community,” said DA Charme Allen.