Two Arrested, Meth Lab Discovered in Abingdon, Va.

ARTICLE BY CLAIRE GALOFARO /// BRISTOL HERALD COURIER:

ABINGDON, Va. – A methamphetamine lab was busted up here Sunday for the second time in less than three weeks, this time with a 3-year-old boy inside the house, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Jessica Marie Damron, 25, of Hidden Valley Road, was arrested Sept. 11 with Richard Jerry Hicks, 40, said police. The couple lived together, they said.
They were caught in the act of cooking methamphetamine when deputies arrived to execute a search warrant, authorities said.
Hicks remained in jail, while Damron was released on a $5,000 secured bond.
She was arrested again 17 days later, on Sunday, at the same house, but with a different man, on charges of manufacturing meth with her son in the home.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office acted on an anonymous tip to check on a toddler at the home on the 8000 block of Hidden Valley Road, according to Sheriff Fred Newman. When deputies arrived at the house around 9 p.m., they said they spotted an active meth lab.
They evacuated the residence and, while waiting for a search warrant, learned the young boy was inside. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation and is now in the care of the Department of Social Services.
Newman said he does not believe the child was in the home when the house was searched earlier this month.
Damron is being held without bond at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail due to earlier charges, according to a news release issued by the Sheriff’s Office.
According to the Virginia court system’s Web site, Damron has 28 active cases in Washington County General District Court, ranging from driving on a suspended license and seat belt violations to felony eluding, with past due fines dating back to 2005.
Manufacturing a schedule 1 or 2 controlled substance, manufacturing methamphetamine in the presence of a child and conspiracy were added to that list after Sunday’s arrest, the release states.
Daniel Allen Neece, 23, of Brumley Gap Road in Abingdon, was arrested on the same charges. Police describe him as a friend of Damron’s who was staying at the house. He also is being held without bond at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail due to a previous unrelated charge, according to the news release.
A preliminary hearing for the pair is set for Oct. 28 – the same date Damron is scheduled for a hearing on the previous meth manufacturing charge – in Washington County General District Court in Abingdon.
Newman, the sheriff, attributed the recent spike in local meth labs to makers learning how to circumvent strict rules established in the 2006 crackdown on buying decongestants like Sudafed, which contain ephedrine, the main ingredient used to make meth. He suspects many enlist fellow drug users to get the drugs from various stores across the region.
Newman advised residents to be vigilant against the manufacture of meth and asked that anyone with information call (276) 676-6000.

cgalofaro@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2531

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Two people have been arrested and an operational methamphetamine lab has been discovered by the Washington County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Department.

According to Washington County Sheriff Fred Newman, on September 27, deputies with the Sheriff’s Office received a request for a welfare check at 8303 Hidden Valley Road, Abingdon, Virginia.

While speaking with someone at the house, the deputy observed an active methamphetamine lab. Once this was discovered, the deputy evacuated the residence and called in a team to neutralize the lab. A search warrant was obtained and executed on the residence. While waiting for the search warrant, it was learned that a 3 year old male child was inside. Officers removed the child and transported him to a local hospital for evaluation. The child is now in custody of the Department of Social Services.

Jessica Marie Damron, age 25, who lived at the address was arrested without incident and charged with “Manufacturing a Scheduled 1 or 2 Controlled Substance, Manufacturing Methamphetamine in the Presence of a Child, and Conspiracy”. Damron is the mother of the child found inside the residence. She is currently incarcerated in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail without bond due to previous charges.

Daniel Allen Neece, age 23, 18342 Brumley Gap Road, Abingdon, Virginia was arrested at the residence and charged with the “Manufacturing a Scheduled 1 or 2 Controlled Substance, Manufacturing Methamphetamine in the Presence of a Child and Conspiracy”. Neece is a friend of Damron and staying at the residence. He is currently incarcerated in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail without bond due to a previous unrelated charge.

The Abingdon Police Department, Virginia State Police and Drug Enforcement Administration assisted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation.

A preliminary hearing for these charges is scheduled for October 28 in the Washington County General District Court, Abingdon, Virginia.