Home meth lab shut down

By Vershal Hogan (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Thursday, August 23, 2007

Wildsville — A Wildsville man was arrested Monday afternoon after law enforcement officials reportedly shut down a methamphetamine lab in his home.

Jimmy Taylor, 42, 198 Trading Post Road, was arrested on a bench warrant for failure to appear and on charges of creation or operation of a clandestine lab, possession of schedule two drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a weapon in possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of marijuana.

Taylor had a felony warrant on him from Natchez for a pseudroephine purchase violation.

He also had an unpaid traffic ticket in Concordia Parish, Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office Public Information Kathleen Stevens said.

CPSO deputies and the Natchez Metro Narcotics Unit made the arrest.

Taylor cooperated with the narcotics agents while they searched and reportedly confiscated meth lab equipment from his home and an outbuilding, Stevens said.

Narcotics agents — CPSO deputies Chris Groh, Sgt, Greg Jackson and Billy Joe Ratcliff and Natchez Metro Commander Cliff Cox — reportedly found marijuana in the house, Stevens said.

The agents also reportedly found crystal meth under Taylor’s mattress and “meth seeds” — methamphetamine that has not been completely processed — were reportedly found in a kitchen cabinet, Stevens said.

A 12-gauge shotgun was reportedly found in the residence, Stevens said.

Items seized in the raid included 10 boxes of table salt, three cans of “Heet” solvent, a blender containing pseudoephedrine residue, a bottle of sulfuric acid, a 50-pound bag of caustic soda, two cans of starting fluid, aluminum foil with meth residue on it and an ink pen cylinder that was reportedly used to inhale meth, Stevens said.

Other items confiscated included two hemostats, two water coolers and metal coils and valves.

The items were allegedly used to make anhydrous ammonia and other items involved in the production of meth, Stevens said.

Taylor reportedly told the narcotics agents he had burned his arm hair and had nearly blown himself up while cooking the meth in his bathroom, Stevens said.

“I truly appreciate the cooperation of the Metro Narcotics Unit in this arrest,” Sheriff Randy Maxwell said. “The Mississippi River is not a boundary.”

“What affects one community affects the other as well,” he said.