The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an incident involving the introduction of contraband at Sequoyah High School and has addressed circulating rumors and speculation on social media, urging the public to rely on official updates rather than unverified posts.

The contraband—consisting of tobacco products, marijuana, and prescription medications—was discovered hidden under a shed on school property on March 9, after a staff member reported suspicious items to a school resource officer (SRO). Surveillance footage review, conducted with assistance from the Monroe County Schools IT Department, revealed that on March 8, two individuals, Mitchell Craig Cook and Sierra Nicole Boggess, dropped off items at the shed location.

Earlier footage from March 5 showed tobacco products being placed there. Additionally, on March 6, an inmate named Elijah John Pressley (also referred to as Presley), who had been transported from the Monroe County Justice Center to the school for an evening inmate welding class, was observed retrieving the hidden items and concealing them on his person between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m. The welding program, a two-week, four-hour-per-day course run by Cleveland State Community College on school grounds from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. when no students were present, has since been postponed and will not resume at Sequoyah High School following this event.

The Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division launched a formal probe on March 9, working closely with the District Attorney’s Office. This led to multiple charges against several individuals. Cook and Boggess, identified via footage, were located in Gatlinburg on March 10 with help from Sevier County FLOCK camera technology, held by Gatlinburg Police, and transported to Monroe County Jail on March 11.

The charged individuals, all currently inmates, include:

• – Mitchell Craig Cook: Introduction of contraband into a penal facility; two counts conspiracy to introduce contraband; sell/deliver Schedule III Suboxone and Schedule VI marijuana in a school zone (plus conspiracies); possession for resale of both substances; and four counts of violation of sex registry.
• – Sierra Nichole Boggess: Similar charges to Cook, including introduction and conspiracy to introduce contraband, sell/deliver and conspiracies for Suboxone and marijuana in a school zone, and possession for resale.
• – Nicholas Alan Cam Boggess and Kevin Lee Cook: Each charged with two counts conspiracy to introduce contraband, sell/deliver Suboxone and marijuana in a school zone (plus conspiracies).
• – Elijah John Presley: Two counts conspiracy to introduce contraband; introduction of contraband; sell/deliver Suboxone and marijuana in a school zone (plus conspiracies).

The incident highlights efforts to curb contraband involving an off-hours inmate program on school grounds, with no indication that regular students were present or directly affected during the times in question.