Authorities raid meth lab on Massey Road
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on January 22, 2018 4:08 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office and State Bureau of Investigations seized a meth lab from a house at 643 Massey Rd during parts of Sunday and Monday.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Evidence is collected and sealed in plastic buckets to be taken back to the State Bureau of Investigations.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Evidence from the meth lab bust at 643 Massey Road is loaded into a State Bureau of Investigations trailer Monday afternoon by members of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities raided an alleged meth lab at 643 Massey Road Monday, seizing evidence from inside and charging one person for the criminal conduct.
Arthur Clayton Jr., 30, who lived at the residence with three other people, is charged with manufacturing methamphetamines.
Sgt. Jerimee Hooker with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team said the agency's warrant squad popped by the house Sunday to serve charges on someone living there.
Hooker said a deputy spotted some "strange items" in the bathroom inside the home.
The deputy then notified the Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Team, who then came to the house and did a "knock and talk."
The ACE team also reportedly saw the strange items in the bathroom, and then seized the house and sat on the residence all night to wait for the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation to arrive Monday morning.
Clayton is the only one who has been arrested and charged thus far.
The NCSBI brought its bomb squad to the residence because there were several "unknown chemical components" on the property, Hooker said.
There were three dogs on the property, which were taken to the shelter by Wayne County Animal Control.
Hooker said the house was declared unsafe for people to live in due to it being a hazardous environment.
While nobody else was arrested or charged, Hooker said there was "no denying" people living in the home with Clayton knew about the alleged methamphetamine manufacturing.
Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce said all deputies undergo training on how to recognize clandestine lab operations, and he commended the deputies for recognizing one when they saw it and said he was grateful for the NCSBI's assistance in the matter.