Posted on 03/14/2008 7:29:38 PM PDT by girlangler
Local man facing firearms, moonshine violations
Posted: 4:39 PM Mar 14, 2008
(WVLT) A Cocke County man is now facing federal firearms and moonshine violations.
61 year old Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton of Parrotsville is charged in a four count complaint with three federal charges, related to the making, possessing and selling of untaxed whiskey.
Sutton also faces one charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
If convicted, Sutton faces up to ten years in federal prison on the firearms count and five years for each of the moonshining counts.
He faces up to a $250,000 fine on each count.
Sutton will be back in court, March 28th for a preliminary hearing.
This is a danged tradion here, and I know the "law" ain't got nothing else to do (like arrest illegal aliens carrying pounds of cocaine)!!!! Or child molestors!!!
Moonshing, BTW, is still an art up in these parts.
My Grandaddy was a moonshiner. It's in the blood here, even though they sell regular liquor now.
Dang, can't believe they got old Popcorn.
He'll get out of it, he always does.
Must be election time (grin).
Ping!!
One of my uncles made it till the day he died in 1997. My cousin told me about 2 years ago that he made it in the little storage shack right next to the house. I was astounded, I thought he at least went up in the woods! This is in Franklin Country, VA, the moonshine capital of the world.
Another uncle of mine was basically kicked out of the state of VA decades ago for moonshining. He's lived in CA ever since.
My county was semi-dry - beer only and there used to be a couple of guys that would sell whiskey to practically anone who came by. I used to buy it when I was 16. Anyway, about 4 months before EVERY county election, they would bust one or the other for bootlegging whiskey. I think the worst sentence any of them ever got was a $500 fine.
What? Two MORE victimless “crimes”?
Darnit! I hope ole Popcorn gets off, with all his experience I’ll bet he makes real good moonshine. We can’t have men with talent like that in jail! :-)
I know, this is just awful.
My grandpa made it, my Daddy ran it in one of those souped up cars that sounded like an airplane (according to my Mama) in the 1950s.
Most people don’t realize moonshine runners in these parts spawned NASCAR. Everybody here at Walmart has a NASCAR hat on with the number of the BIG number one. Since I am not a NASCAR fan, I forget the number.
Anyhow, old Popcorn is a legend up here. They ought to leave him alone.
Since I did not want to go blind, I asked him what he did about fusel oil. He gave a detailed 15 minute lecture on distillation techniques. He obviously knew what he was doing.
The stuff was pretty good.
My Grandpa was a rum runner down in Florida.
Robert Mitchum starred in the movie "Thunder Road" and I believe it was made in the 50's. He ran moonshine in a hopped up car, it was a good movie.
TC,JZMO
Well, since you appreciate fine art, like moonshining, I’ll tell you this story. But, if the law ever comes for me, I’ll deny it.
Several years ago, many fine, cultered businessmen from across the SE U.S. hired fishing guides on the S. Holston River, a blue ribbon trout fishery in upper East Tennessee, to take them in pursuit of the big brown trout in the river.
After a long day of floating this beautiful river, with big limestone bluffs, gorgeous fawna, and lots of wildlife, the guides would offer their Yankee hosts an initiation ceremony.
They’d all pull up in slack water and toast the day; a beautiful day in God’s country, by passing around a fruit jar filled with the smoothest liquor you ever sipped. It was the best peach moonshine made.
I have spent a long day bending my arm in search of these beautiful, aggressive creatures (the trout, not the fishing guides).
I have watched a fog envelope the river valley, crawl towards me and chill me to the bone, and this brew warmed my innards, settled the score with every fish that got away, convinced me they’d be there next time.
Now, there ain’t a darned thing wrong with that!!!
That’s an excellent way to spend a day, or two, or preferably ten. LOL!
Out West here moonshine is not real available but Jack Daniels is, it’s a tolerable substitute. At least it was in my younger days. :)
Is this the Popcorn guy that I saw on TV within the last year?
/jasper
Darlin, I’ll say there ain’t a darned thing wrong with that!!! That’s a fine way to spend the afternoon. YesSiree!!
REVANOOOEERRRS!!!
That's a good story.
Fish really do fear you, or at least they should.
You’re probably thinking about the folks that get paid minimum wages to act like hillbillies at Dollywood theme park (grin) and the like.
They are hillbillies too, but I doubt any of them know how to make moonshine.
No, old Popcorn is up near Dell Rio, up in the mountains where they don’t have taffy making and sovenir shops — where they still run hounds for bear and ‘coons, and still show up for Church and “All Day Singing and Dinner on the Ground.”
When they ain’t making moonshine and betting on those fighting roosters.
Those folks up there are pretty independent, they don’t pay much attention to laws and the stock market!!!
“My Grandaddy was a moonshiner. It’s in the blood here, even though they sell regular liquor now.”
Are you in Cocke county? I used to pass through there all the time when I worked for the Tennessee Farmer’s Cooperative. I loved working East Tenn.
I’d go bail for Popcorn. But shine’ll hurt you. Bad. Don’t ask me how I know.
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