O&W Meth Bust Is Second In One Week

September 9, 2004

The occupant of a 1221 O&W Road, Oneida, residence and two other men have been charged in connection with a pair of meth labs discovered at that residence by law enforcement officers on the evening of Thursday, September 2.

Charged in connection with the meth labs was Ronnie Dean Sexton, age 20, who resided at the O&W Road mobile home. Sexton was charged with multiple counts, including conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of a schedule II drug, possession of a schedule II drug with intent to resale, felonious possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to obey stop, frisk and halt.

According to an arrest warrant obtained from Scott County Sessions Cout records, two other suspects - Brent Wesley Norris and Hoey Pennington, Jr. - are also being charged in connection with the meth lab bust.

The bust, which was the second in a span of seven days for officers from the Scott County Sheriff's Department and Oneida Police Department, occurred in the late evening hours on Thursday after Sheriff's Department K-9 Officer Rob Reed noticed Sexton and Norris "acting suspicious," the warrant states. The warrant alleges that when Officer Reed and Sheriff's Department Drug Agent Anthony Phillips pulled into the residence to talk to Sexton, he immediately fled on foot and escaped. He was later taken into custody. The warrant adds that individually bagged meth was "in plain view in his car, along with a crack pipe."

Reed and Phillips, who were later joined at the scene by Officer Gerry Garrett of the Oneida Police Department, Grant Lowe of the Southeast-Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force and Chief Deputy Marty Carson of the Sheriff's Department, initially discovered components commonly used to "cook" meth inside the mobile home.

That particular lab, according to Reed, was used to manufacture "meth cathidone." Lowe said that meth-cathidone is relatively rare in Scott County, though it is very common in Morgan County.

More than an hour after their search of the home was completed, officers discovered a separate lab in the trunk of a vehicle parked at the residence. That particular lab was referred to as a "red bean meth" lab. Reed said that that particular form of meth is much more potent and dangerous, as well as more difficult to make, than meth-cathidone.

The arrest warrant for Sexton states that officers found 1.7 grams of finished meth product at the residence, as well as three glass pipes with residue, two cans of Red Devil lye, one can of Muriatic Acid, one can of Acetone, one can of Coleman fuel and two cans of Butane lighter fluid, and various other products and accessories typically used in the production of methamphetamine.

Bail for Sexton was set for $200,000. He was expected to be arraigned in Scott County General Sessions Court yesterday (Wednesday) morning.

news@ihoneida.com

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