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April 30, 2009

Cullman agents find meth labs in Vinemont woods

By Patrick McCreless

STAFF WRITER

Cullman County narcotics agents found several used meth labs shortly after they allegedly witnessed two men working on a new one Tuesday in a wooded area in Vinemont.

According to Cullman County Sheriff’s reports, Shannon Alford McDonald, 27 of Cullman and Nathan Allen Powell, 18 of Holly Pond were arrested for unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance in the second degree.

Chief Deputy Tony Quick said the case began after the sheriff’s office received complaints of possible meth lab trash behind some Vinemont apartments, located on Alabama Highway 31.

“People witnessed two males going to the woods with bags of materials consistent with the manufacturing of meth,” Quick said.

After arriving at the scene, members of the Cullman Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET) agents went into the woods in the same direction as the two men.

“Once we got there, we found two males bent over the components of a meth lab,” Quick said.

In addition to the suspects’ lab, agents found two used labs nearby.

“It looks like people have been going back there and cooking for a little while,” Quick said.

When the two suspects saw the agents, they ran in opposite directions, he said. Agents managed to capture one of the suspects at the scene, who was identified as Powell. They also identified McDonald as his accomplice.

“Later that night, patrol received a call he was back in the area trying to leave,” Quick said. “They were able to stop him on a traffic stop.”

Quick noted that the suspects’ lab was not active when they were discovered and did not need to be decontaminated.

“They were in the process of crushing Ephedrine pills,” Quick said. “They (agents) got to them right before they started to cook.”

McDonald and Powell are incarcerated at the Cullman County Detention Center, each with a $1 million bond.

Unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance is a Class B felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.



‰ Patrick McCreless can be reached by e-mail at patrickm@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131 ext. 270.

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