Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Property Owner Discovers Couple Operating Meth Lab
A resident checking on a property last week discovered that individuals he did not know were operating a meth lab on the premises.
Two individuals were arrested in connection with the investigation. Chasity Dawn Odom, 31, of 695 Glenn Springs Road was booked through the Lawrence County Detention Center on charges of criminal trespassing, promotion of the manufacture of methamphetamine, initiation of the manufacture of methamphetamine, simple possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Shawn Joseph Jeffries, 39, of 73 Richardson Avenue, Leoma, was charged with offenses that include criminal trespassing, promotion of the manufacture of methamphetamine, initiation of the manufacture of methamphetamine, and possession of Schedule II narcotics.
Reports filed through the Lawrenceburg Police Department show that the land owner contacted them, saying that he suspected that a meth lab was being operated on property that he owns on Kilburn Cemetery Road.
When he and agents with both the police and sheriff’s departments arrived at the location, they found a white Nissan truck parked beside an outbuilding. The owner indicated that no one had permission to be on the property.
As they approached the building, agents report noticing a “shake bottle” that had been used to manufacture meth, lying just outside the doorway.
They knocked on the door and report hearing someone moving about inside, but indicate no one came to the door. The agents opened the door and found that Jeffries and Odom were in bed. Both admitted that they did not have permission to be on the property.
Drugs, drug components and various items of drug paraphernalia were seized into evidence during the ensuing search.
Contraband was said to have been located inside the building, Odom’s purse, on Jeffries’ person, inside the truck, and in the truck tool box.
Among the items seized were marijuana, digital scales, meth pipes, lithium batteries, coffee filters, homemade fittings, tubing, plastic bottles, glass jars, funnels, cold packs (some cut open with the ammonia nitrate removed), lye, Coleman fuel, and a bleach bottle containing acid.
While sweeping the surrounding property, agents report they found in the woods two “trash” labs where remnants of other meth labs had been discarded.
Jeffries, who at the time was on parole in connection with another instance of meth manufacturing, told agents that he had not discarded any other labs, but rather had “burned them all.”
Odom and Jeffries were transported to the detention center for processing. Once there, agents report that Jeffries voluntarily surrendered .6 grams of meth so as to avoid additional charges.
Jeffries was incarcerated under a bond of $112,000 while bond for Odom was set at $53,000. Both are slated to answer the charges in Lawrence County General Sessions Court on May 2, 2013.
All meth lab components were processed and rendered safe. The materials were later released to the Tennessee Meth Task Force for proper disposal.
