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A Cottageville man remains lodged in the South Central regional Jail in lieu of $1 million bond after his arrest in a raid on his Evergreen Hills home early Friday morning.
Clifford D. Easthom, 38, who lawmen consider to be in the upper echelon of area methamphetamine trafficking, was taken into custody by a coordinated group of officers including Detective Ross Mellinger, Sgt. Eric Cullen, Cpl. Roger Rhodes, Deputies George Burnem, Gary Baldwin and Mile Strobbe, West Virginia State Police Troopers Chip Donohoe and Joey Comer and a helicopter and crew.
The 4:20 a.m. raid to execute a search warrant at 95 Moonlight Drive, Cottageville, culminated an investigation that has spanned months and began very active in the past 30 days.
Officers allegedly detected a heavy and distinct chemical odor inside the dwelling commonly associated with the red phosphorus method of meth manufacturing and handcuffed Easthom who was alone at the dwelling.
Seized from the coffee table were a large quantity of what is believed processed red phosphorus and a coffee filter containing a large quantity of what is believed to be finished meth.
Both amounts were allegedly the largest seen by local investigators.
Also seized were digital scales, a brown stained glass vial, variouas aluminum balls used in gas generators, sandwich baggies, empty HEET bottles, empty acetone bottles, empty and fill Coleman fuel canisters and stained coffee filters,.
Other items included empty mason jars, a jar filled with white liquid and while sludge, baggies filled with red phosphorus, coffee filters containing processed iodine crystals, Muriatic Acid, hydrogen peroxide, stained vinyl tubing.
Investigators believe the raid followed a just completed meth cook by Easthom.
The search also disclosed four hidden compartments built into the house’s interior and an infared surveillance camera system with big screen TV monitors.
Easthom was arrested and charged with manfacturing a controlled substance-methamphetamine.
He was arraigned by Jackson County Magistrate Tom Reynolds who set bond at $1 million, according to court documents.
A Cottageville man remains lodged in the South Central regional Jail in lieu of $1 million bond after his arrest in a raid on his Evergreen Hills home early Friday morning.
Clifford D. Easthom, 38, who lawmen consider to be in the upper echelon of area methamphetamine trafficking, was taken into custody by a coordinated group of officers including Detective Ross Mellinger, Sgt. Eric Cullen, Cpl. Roger Rhodes, Deputies George Burnem, Gary Baldwin and Mile Strobbe, West Virginia State Police Troopers Chip Donohoe and Joey Comer and a helicopter and crew.
The 4:20 a.m. raid to execute a search warrant at 95 Moonlight Drive, Cottageville, culminated an investigation that has spanned months and began very active in the past 30 days.
Officers allegedly detected a heavy and distinct chemical odor inside the dwelling commonly associated with the red phosphorus method of meth manufacturing and handcuffed Easthom who was alone at the dwelling.
Seized from the coffee table were a large quantity of what is believed processed red phosphorus and a coffee filter containing a large quantity of what is believed to be finished meth.
Both amounts were allegedly the largest seen by local investigators.
Also seized were digital scales, a brown stained glass vial, variouas aluminum balls used in gas generators, sandwich baggies, empty HEET bottles, empty acetone bottles, empty and fill Coleman fuel canisters and stained coffee filters,.
Other items included empty mason jars, a jar filled with white liquid and while sludge, baggies filled with red phosphorus, coffee filters containing processed iodine crystals, Muriatic Acid, hydrogen peroxide, stained vinyl tubing.
Investigators believe the raid followed a just completed meth cook by Easthom.
The search also disclosed four hidden compartments built into the house’s interior and an infared surveillance camera system with big screen TV monitors.
Easthom was arrested and charged with manfacturing a controlled substance-methamphetamine.
He was arraigned by Jackson County Magistrate Tom Reynolds who set bond at $1 million, according to court documents.
