WMC-TV: News, Weather, Traffic, Radar, and Sports for Memphis, TN; WMCTV.com | Fayette County deputies carry out large moonshine bust
Member Center:
By Anna Marie Hartman - bio | email | Twitter | Facebook
BRADEN, TN (WMC-TV) - Fayette County Sheriff's deputies busted a moonshine still Wednesday about a mile south of Braden, Tennessee.
Beside a home located down a winding wooded road, deputies found long row of 55 gallon drums filled with corn mash, just hours away from being cooked up to make moonshine.
Deputies made the bust after receiving a tip that someone was cooking up illegal alcohol. It's a dying art, according to Lt. Erick Cook, which is against the law and expensive.
"It's cheaper to go buy a pint from the local liquor store than it is to do this," Cook said.
Manufacturing untaxed liquor is a misdemeanor that's hard to prosecute because authorities have to catch the cooks in the act.
"Most times, you know, no one will own up to these things," Cook said.
Cook said enough supplies were found to make at least 300 gallons of moonshine, which sell for about $90 each. And in this case where there was moonshine, there was also marijuana. After officers searched the home where the moonshine and the pot were found, they arrested a suspect.
And rather than haul off the evidence, deputies destroyed the distillery and disposed of the illegal alcohol they found.
Copyright 2009 WMC-TV. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Take turns weighing in on the issues of the day with WMC-TV General Manager Lee Meredith.
Find find out which restaurants scored low and which made the High 5 during recent inspections.
A collection of some of the most jaw dropping police dashcam video you've ever seen.
