Marion Carson
Marion Carson (1943-1991) was sheriff of Scott County, serving nearly 10 years before resigning just before he pled guilty to federal charges against him following an undercover FBI investigation in 1986.
See Also: Sheriffs of Scott County
Preceded By: Julius Lewallen • Succeeded By: Chester Sexton
Early life
Born March 1, 1943, Marion Carson was the son of Leon Carson (1910-1980) and Laura Jane Cecil (1913-1994). He was one of 12 children born in the Carson family.
The sons of Leon and Laura Carson were heavily involved in Scott County’s politics from the 1970s to the 1990s. In addition to Marion Carson’s 10-year tenure as sheriff, his brother, Jim Carson, served as sheriff from 1994 to 2006, becoming the longest-tenured sheriff in the county’s history. Another brother, Billy Joe Carson, served on Scott County Commission from 1977 to 1986.
Marion Carson served as Scott County deputy sheriff under Sheriff Julius Lewallen from 1972 to 1976. He first ran for sheriff in 1976, defeating former sheriff Jack Laxton in a close election that was decided by fewer than 300 votes. Two years later, the two men squared off again and Carson won by fewer than 400 votes. He was later re-elected to a third term in 1982. He was a popular sheriff who enjoyed widespread support in Scott County, which caused the later allegations against him to send shockwaves through the community.
Operation Mach Tenn
Carson was arrested by special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in March 1986, following the conclusion of a lengthy undercover operation that the FBI had coined “Mach Tenn.” Several officials in East Tennessee were arrested in the operation, including the sheriff of Claiborne County.
The investigation began in May 1985 and concluded with Carson’s arrest in March 1986. He was one of nine former or current sheriffs in East Tennessee indicted on federal drug-related corruption charges following various investigations by the FBI.
The investigation revealed that undercover FBI agents had posed as cocaine smugglers and worked their way into Carson’s trust before asking him to aid their efforts.
Shortly after his indictment by a federal grand jury on 11 charges related to cocaine trafficking and abusing the powers of his office, the FBI revealed that it had several undercover audio and video recordings of Carson during his dealings with agents. The recordings contained threats Carson made against witnesses, including a threat to kill part-time deputy Wayne Caldwell, who was a co-defendant in the case. He also alleged to have a hired killer, Mike Wilson, who worked as a deputy. Another recording showed Carson accepting a payoff from undercover FBI agents at a store in West Knoxville.
Carson faced as much as 35 years in prison but pled guilty to a single charge related to providing safety for undercover FBI agents who were posing as cocaine smugglers. He entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Thomas Hull in Greeneville, Tenn.
Carson was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined $10,000. His attorneys argued for a more lenient sentence, saying his crime did not warrant 15 years in prison and that he had pled guilty against the strong advise of his legal counsel. However, federal prosecutors argued for the maximum sentence, calling his crimes “a slap in the face to every citizen of Scott County.”
Prior to his guilty plea in Greeneville, Carson resigned from his post as Scott County Sheriff. The following month, Scott County Commission appointed his chief deputy, Chester Sexton to serve out the rest of Carson’s unexpired term. The following August, Jack Laxton — who had run against Carson in 1976, 1978 and 1982, was elected sheriff.
Sickness and death
Carson was serving his 15-year prison sentence at a federal prison in Lexington, Ky. when he became sick and was diagnosed with cancer in 1991.
As a result of his terminal illness, federal authorities paroled Carson, and he returned home to Oneida. However, less than one week after his release from prison, Carson was hospitalized at Fort Sanders Regional Hospital in Knoxville, Tenn. He remained hospitalized until his death on August 19, 1991. He was only 48.
Among the pallbearers at Carson’s funeral were former County Judge Verda “Buddy” Cope Jr., banking magnate W.H. “Bill” Swain, and former Board of Education member Ikey Duncan.
Carson was buried at the Troxell Cemetery at High Point.
Letter to Citizens
On March 31, 1986, the evening before he was to enter a guilty plea at a federal courthouse in Greeneville, Carson wrote a letter to the citizens of Scott County. It was delivered to the Independent Herald by his attorney, Ted Q. Wilson. It follows in full:
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To The Citizens of Scott County:
As you probably already know I have been indicted for taking money to help people transport unlawful drugs through the county for sale and distribution. Many of you who have known me for a long time were saddened and shocked by the news because you had supported me and identified yourselves with me to enforce the laws of your county.
The office of sheriff is the people’s office and is much larger and more important than the person who serves in that office. My actions during the past few months, but only the last few months, have brought embarrassment and disrespect upon Scott County and its citizens through your sheriff’s office. During this period I betrayed the confidence and trust of you the people, for the purpose of making a small amount of money. The least, but only honorable thing I can do now, is to resign from your office of sheriff and I have sent a letter of resignation to your County Executive and to the County Commissioners, effective immediately. The law provides a way for the sheriff’s office to continue to serve through the chief deputy, Chester Sexton, until the County Commissioners appoint a sheriff to serve until the coming election. None of my family, staff or full-time deputies knew anything about my breach of your trust. I also intend to enter a guilty plea in my case with the belief and trust that the judge will deal with me fairly and compassionately.
In disbelieve I’m sure that many of you will ask yourselves and your friends, “Why would Marion do such a thing?” There is no sensible answer for my conduct for this short period of time, than there is for the conduct of others who have violated the law and been brought to justice in the past by me as your sheriff. As you react to my recent mis-conduct, I would ask that you remember me as a person, a friend and the sheriff over the past many years.
Even though I did not have much formal education, I have worked hard and served four years as deputy sheriff and Sheriff Julius Lewallen; you then elected me as your sheriff in 1976 and have continued to elect me since. During these fourteen years I’ve tried hard and diligently to serve you faithfully and effectively, and my record until just recently, is well known, and while I’ve made mistakes during those years, I believe I did make you and your county a good sheriff, and that I maintained law and order in a calm and cautious manner.
Several months ago I underwent considerable stress because of family matters which resulted in a breaking up of my family with all of the problems which usually follow such events. I turned to drinking; did not keep my mind on the duties of the office of sheriff, and found myself unable to live within my good salary. I gained much weight and took drugs that were prescribed by my physician, which left me in a physical, mental and spiritual condition of being inadequate to serve as sheriff. I began to try to find ways to make more money. I first tried to make money in coal, gas and oil activities, which failed. About that time, I was approached by people I had never before met, who then met with Wayne Caldwell and we gradually worked around to where we began to discuss the matter of transporting drugs through the county. In my weakness and desire to make money, I agreed to assist them. We all now know these people were the federal agents. This is not an excuse, but is just the way it happened.
In conclusion, I realized the great wrong which I have individually done, but hurting your sheriff’s office, and those people who believed in me. This matter is a great burden upon me and will not leave me until I fully repent to God for my sins and mis-conduct, which I will do in due time. Perhaps one day too, I can gain the forgiveness of my family and the people of Scott County as well.
With humblest apologies, I remain —
Yours sincerely,
Marion Carson
Op-Ed on Carson’s plea
In the April 3, 1986 edition of the Independent Herald, the newspaper’s editor and publisher, Paul Roy, published the following editorial, entitled “Is It A Lesson For Us All?”
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I’ll probably be criticized for saying so, but as I looked across the courtroom in Greenville Tuesday morning, I felt sorry for Marion Carson. He stood there, dejected and erect, telling the court he was guilty of what a sometimes sane society is prone to call “an unforgivable crime” — trafficking in drugs, or at least what he thought to be drugs.
As I watched him admitting to his own guilt, I watched his face register both regret and sorrow — the too-late expression of “I did, but I wish I hadn’t.” At times like that, as objective and detached as you try to be when covering such a major news event, you sometimes feel a pang of pity.
Looking at him, overweight and perspiring in the stuffy courtroom, I recalled seeing him in quite a different setting almost 10 years ago. I remember Marion Carson’s expression upon winning his first sheriff’s race in August 1976. I hadn’t expected him to win and, judging from his expression — the ear-to-ear smile and the jerky jubilation in his skinny frame — he was equally surprised by the final vote tally as well, as he made his way through a courthouse corridor filled with supporters.
Ten years makes a lot of difference, in appearance and attitude — and not just in a good man gone bad sense. I can’t condone Marion Carson’s actions any more than the law of the land can, but even as a detached reporter of good news and bad, I can sympathize with his plight.
Although it’s hard to imagine, what happened to Marion Carson could, to one degree or another, happen to just about any of us, from a down-in-the-dumps, out-of-work nobody to a self-respecting businessman. It all depends on the circumstances, I suppose. We’re all corruptible and while everyone of us may not have his price, don’t say it couldn’t happen. It can and does.
In a letter he didn’t have to write, our ex-sheriff tried to explain the circumstances which led up to his being caught in a drug conspiracy. I didn’t have to print the letter, but I felt compelled to do so. In admitting his guilt, in the lowest ebb of his existence, Marion Carson thought of the people who had put their trust in him. It wasn’t an impassioned plea for a lighter sentence — it was a statement of how it happened. He asked us to look at him as a person and, as you read his letter, you find yourself doing just that, whether you choose to believe what he’s saying or not.
Whether we as a county can find it in our hearts to show compassion or forgiveness for Marion Carson for his breach of trust as an elected official won’t make the headlines in the local newspaper or the lead story on the Knoxville television news. Perhaps he’s asking too much of a society which basks in the publicity of the downfall of one of its own.
I had never seen Marion Carson’s mother until last Friday afternoon as a television cameraman all but collided head-on with her in his zest to get a closer close-up. I felt sorry for her, too. We’re all somebody’s child or somebody’s parent. We’ve all got feelings. Sometimes we forget, just as sometimes things like right and wrong get all mixed up in our minds. Good and evil. Love and hate. Compassion and indifference. All mixed up.
He asked us to try to understand. He asked us to forgive him. But, human nature being what it is, we’ll probably just remember what we want to remember about the rise and fall of a county sheriff.
Family
Carson was married to Gaylia M. Carson. They have a shared stone at Troxell Cemetery though she had remarried to Milford Roysden by the time of Carson’s death in 1991.
Together, Marion and Gaylia Carson had two children: Trina Carson and Danny Carson.