BY CLAIRE GALOFARO
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
ABINGDON, Va. – Following a methamphetamine lab bust Tuesday, Sheriff Fred Newman admitted he’s worried that meth manufacturing is making a resurgence in Washington County.
“We thought we had this pretty well under control,” Newman said Wednesday. “We had actually gone three years without any methamphetamine lab seizures. Now we’re looking at several in the last two weeks. We’re definitely keeping an eye on this to make sure we don’t start having a big problem.”
Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office and the Abingdon Police Department arrested Christopher Dean Mitchell, 28, and Amanda Jane Tignor, 27, at their house on Trout Road, where they are accused of operating a meth lab, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.
Three children were in the home, the news release states.
Mitchell and Tignor each face one charge of manufacturing methamphetamine and three counts of manufacturing methamphetamine in the presence of a minor, which can carry a 40-year prison sentence if there is a conviction.
Police went to the house to question the pair about stolen construction tools, according to Capt. Jack Davidson, who spearheaded the investigation. Several items linked to a recent break-in were found, and a search warrant led them to the drug lab, he said.
The dangerous chemicals used to make meth are notorious for exploding. Meth lab certified officers with the Virginia State Police were called in to dismantle the lab.
In 2004 and 2005, Washington and Smyth counties busted 50 meth labs, Newman said. He attributed the rapid decline in meth cases to an executive order by then-Gov. Mark Warner. In 2006, Virginia began requiring that Sudafed and other decongestants containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, the basic ingredients of methamphetamine, be kept behind the pharmacy counter, ensuring no one could purchase large amounts of the drugs.
“These folks are being able to obtain it in bulk,” Newman said of the pair arrested. “So we’re going to do some investigating into how people are getting these quantities of the stuff.”
Additional charges related to both the meth lab and the property are pending.
Mitchell and Tignor are each being held at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail on $50,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 25 in General District Court.
In another recent Washington County case, Damascus police last month charged another couple with operating a mobile meth lab from a car.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking residents to watch for suspected drug houses, often identified by unusual chemical smells or large numbers of people who visit for a short time. The identities of tipsters will be kept confidential, the sheriff said.
cgalofaro@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2531
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