Meth lab arrest made on Waller Road
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on April 30, 2008 2:05 PM
Meth lab components at a Waller Road home had Wayne County sheriff's deputies looking for one of its residents.
They found Roy Allan Fountain, 28, and he was charged with possession of 2 1/2 grams of methamphetamine and two counts of possession of chemicals used in manufacturing the drug.
Goldsboro-Wayne County Drug Squad members said the cooking operation was in the wooded area to the west of Fountain's residence, just west of Mt. Olive.
"We got the information in March and went out there and found it," Maj. George Raecher said. "Based on what we found, that's when we started looking for him. I'm sure he knew we were looking for him."
Fountain's listed residence is set off a dirt path with multiple homes, a path that connects Waller Road to N.C. 55 near Thunder Swamp Road.
The Wayne-Goldsboro Drug Squad news release says Fountain's home came to the officers' attention through reports of a "cooking operation" at the home.
Fountain's arrest marks the 32nd in a major methamphetamine investigation that Raecher said has been a success.
In addition to drug charges, Fountain had marijuana and an outstanding Duplin County warrant for driving with a revoked license, authorities said.
"More than one defendant has made note to the investigators that this investigation is definitely hampering the methamphetamine operation in Wayne County," Raecher said.
Raecher said that's particularly important for meth, a highly addictive stimulant produced in clandestine, explosion-prone labs.
The labs are known to leave behind the stench of ammonia immediately after cooking, drug detectives report.
When the fumes have faded, the interior of a meth cook's home is often covered with the toxic byproducts of cooking the drug, police say.
"He wasn't cooking when we got there," Raecher said. "But he had been recently."