Detectives, Drug Dog Sniff Out Rolling Meth Lab



Detectives, Drug Dog Sniff Out Rolling Meth Lab

A Manchester man picked the wrong time to travel into Woodbury the night of Jan. 29.

That’s because he had the misfortune of encountering Cannon County Sheriff’s Detective Anthony Young.

At approximately 11:48 p.m. that night, Detective Young was traveling north on Highway 53 South when he got behind a green Honda Accord that was driving erratically. Det. Young observed the vehicle weaving all over the roadway in and out of lanes. Det. Young initiated a traffic stop near ACE Hardware on South McCrary St. and the vehicle pulled into the parking lot.

Det. Young approached the driver’s side of the vehicle and asked the driver for his license. Det. Young asked the driver if he knew why he had been pulled over and the driver stated he did not. When informed it was because he was weaving in and out of lanes, the driver said it was because he was blind in one eye and it was hard for him to see at night.

At this point Det. Young did a check of the driver’s license and it came back valid with no restrictions. He asked the driver to step out of the vehicle, and while the driver was doing so he was unsteady on his feet. The driver, when asked, said he had not had anything to drink or taken any drugs. Det. Young could smell a slight odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Although the driver stated there was nothing illegal in the vehicle, he would rather the detective not perform a search.

Det. Young contacted Sheriff Darrell Young, who in turned contacted Detective James Davis, handler of the department’s drug dog. He then told the driver, Adam Clint George, 100 New Union Heights, Manchester, that the drug dog was en route to the location. George told the detective that he did have some marijuana in his vehicle. He said it was in a compartment by the steering wheel of the vehicle. Upon further questioning, George also stated there was more marijuana in the vehicle in a backpack located on the passenger side.

Detective Davis arrived with the drug dog at this point. The dog alerted on the vehicle. George then stated that there was an active meth lab in the trunk. Det. Young opened the trunk. Inside he found a green and black backpack sitting in the driver’s side area of the trunk. He unzipped the backpack and there was an active meth lab inside.

The backpack was removed from the trunk. Inside was discovered an active one pot meth lab, a plastic bottle containing muriatic acid, a plastic bottle containing Coleman lantern fuel, a plastic container containing lye/drain cleaner, a plastic container containing ammonia nitrate, two blister packs containing 21 pseudophredrine pills, one plastic container containing a lithium strip, one stack of coffee filters, a pair of black gloves, and two pairs of wire pliers. The backpack also contained a white plastic funnel.

Detectives then searched the cab of the vehicle. Det. Young found two cellophane baggies containing marijuana, one in the compartment of the steering wheel and one in the other backpack on the passenger’s side. Other items found in this backpack included a black zipper case containing 21 syringes, six of which looked to contain drugs, one plastic bottle containing a white powder, one pill container containing two unknown pills, one plastic container containing a white powdery residue, a set of black, battery-operated measuring scales, one black mirror with a white powdery residue, and two used coffee filters with a white powdery residue. There was also a plastic container with several cotton balls inside.

George at first claimed the white power was crushed up diet pills, but later in the conversation admitted to Det. Young that it was meth.

Det. Young then had George perform a series of field sobriety tests. George was unable to perform them to the satisfaction of the detective. George was placed under arrest and transported to the county jail by Deputy Reed Bryson. Det. Young took an inventory of the evidence at the scene and then contacted the Meth Task Force to come dispose of the lab and the other components which were found. The vehicle was also seized and impounded at the sheriff’s department.

After that Det. Young went to the jail and transported George to the hospital to have blood drawn for testing for evidentiary purposes. Once back at the CCSD, Det. Young tested the white powder and the liquid in the syringes. They both came back positive for meth.

George faces charges of manufacture of methamphetamine, initiating the process to manufacture methamphetamine, simple possession of marijuana, DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia. Total bond was set at $157,500. Initial court date is March 1.