Duffel bag discovery leads to 3 meth arrests
A resident’s discovery of a duffel bag in woods near a popular Lincolnton-area walking trail led to the arrest of three men on methamphetamine manufacturing charges.
The resident found the bag last Wednesday in the 2600 block of Laboratory Road. Narcotics detectives found items in the bag that make up a “one-pot” meth lab, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Lt. Jon Propst said Tuesday.
After a nearly week-long investigation, detectives charged Ricky Nelson Denny Jr., 23, of Bessemer City, and Michael Scott Hester, 36, and Jordan Elizabeth Bingham, 23, both of Crouse, with one felony count each of manufacturing methamphetamine and conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.
Bingham also was charged with simple possession of marijuana.
“Depending on the stage of the lab, a ‘one pot’ can be very dangerous if not properly neutralized and disposed of,” Propst said in a statement announcing the arrests. “This bag and its contents were just thrown into the woods near an area where the public routinely visit to walk.”
“Thanks to an observant citizen, we were able to contain the chemicals and dispose of them properly before any innocent party was exposed,” Propst said.
Joe Marusak: 704-358-5067, @jmarusak
This story was originally published October 20, 2015 at 10:22 AM with the headline "Duffel bag discovery leads to 3 meth arrests."