Alleged Moonshiner Busted at Flea Market

Sept. 20, 2005 — -- A Tennessee man has been accused of selling moonshine disguised as jars of fruit from his stall at the Great Smokies Flea Market.

Sevier County Constable George Lawson arrested Larry William Ensley, 66, on Sunday and charged him with possession of moonshine.

Lawson, who was on his day off visiting the flea market with his family, said he recognized the bootleg alcohol as soon as he caught a whiff of the odor coming from the man's stall at the flea market.

"Basically I was at the flea market with the family, and this guy was standing there soliciting moonshine," Lawson said. "Moonshine has a very distinctive smell. Once you smell moonshine, you'll always know what moonshine smells like."

Ensley had set up a fruit stand inside the market warehouse, but instead of just selling fruit, Lawson said Ensley showcased jars of homemade moonshine.

"As people came by he would ask people if they wanted to buy some fruit," Lawson said. "He told them he had some good, fruited moonshine. He called it hillbilly moonshine."

The bust uncovered 20 jars of illegal liquor, with a street value of $15 to $20 a jar.

Managers at the flea market said that after they found out about the moonshine bust, they evicted Ensley.

After he bonded out of jail Monday afternoon he removed all of his items from the flea market grounds.

ABC News affiliate WATE-TV in Knoxville, Tenn., contributed to this report.