What's up Buttercup?

It's a date in court for Justin Lee "Buttercup" Ellis who was arrested by the Cannon County Sheriff's Department on multiple meth-related charges.

The 36-year-old Ellis was nabbed at his home on McMinnville Highway by Investigators Brandon Gullett and Chris Brown. The arrest was in conjunction with a home visit by Tennessee Department of Corrections Officers Amber Burns and Lance Fulks.

Officers kept Ellis' home under surveillance for 5 ½ hours until he returned home in a white Chrysler PT Cruiser. A black GMC truck was backed into the driveway.

While they were waiting Gullett received an email from the NPEXE system indicating Ellis had attempted to purchase pseudo from a Walgreen's located in Manchester.

Once Ellis returned home, Cannon County officers alerted the TDOC officers so they could conduct a home search. The TDOC officers discovered a crystal substance wrapped inside a $5 bill.

The Cannon County officers then advised Ellis of his rights and the suspect signed a consent to search form giving them the right to search his property.

"We then located in the living room area as Justin Lee Ellis sat in the recliner a camo box that contained a set of digital scales, baggies, bent spoon, glass pipe and a straw. Justin was asked about the times which he stated he didn't know that they were in his residence," Gullett reported.

In the kitchen of the home, officers discovered syringes, empty cold packs, lithium batteries, pill grinders, red phosphorus and other similar items.

All items were photographed into evidence.

Officers searched four bags of trash on the back porch and discovered items including used coffee filters, empty blister packs and stripped lithium batteries.

In addition, two one-pot methamphetamine labs were discovered.

Gullett called in the Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force to remove the meth labs and trash from the premise. Responding was Officer Billy Jo Crouch.

Ellis was subsequently charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, maintaining a dwelling, possession of meth with intent, promotion of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. A hearing was set for April 18 in General Sessions Court of Cannon County. Officers also seized both the GMC Sierra and the PT Cruiser.