TRENTON — A Trenton man, arrested Friday for possession of items used in making methamphetamine, was presented with additional drug charges Monday.
David Michael Spence, 26, of 3066 Cobb Road, remained in Jones County Jail Monday under a $100,000 secured bond.
Detective Timothy Corey said the Jones County Sheriff’s narcotic’s office received an anonymous tip that Spence was “being evicted from his residence and was in the process of setting up a lab so he could cook methamphetamine before he left.”
He and several deputies went to Spence’s residence, where they found him sitting in his car at about 5 p.m. Friday. He attempted to flee, but the officers were able to detain him, Corey said.
A search of the car revealed a small bag with about 40 pseudoephedrine pills and lithium batteries in the floorboard.
“They are commonly used in the manufacturing of meth,” Corey said about the batteries and pills.
Officers spent the night at the residence while waiting to obtain a search warrant. About 9 a.m., Saturday, the State Bureau of Investigation arrived on the premises and — with deputies from Jones County — searched the home.
Corey said the SBI confiscated a number of precursors for making meth, including household and farm chemicals such as anhydrous ammonia, which was found inside a fire extinguisher to keep it stable.
Upon completion of the search after noon, a private company, Advanced Environmental Options of South Carolina, came in to clean up and remove the hazardous materials.
“Basically, what they do,” Corey said, “is they log all the evidence and collect all the hazardous waste from the site.”
Spence was arrested and charged Friday for felony possession of meth precursors and placed under a $50,000 secured bond.
On Monday, he was served with two more of the same charges and maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance with an additional $50,000 bond.
“(Spence) was in the process of gathering everything he needed,” Corey said about the meth precursors, “because he had intentions of cooking the meth that night. And due to the anonymous tip and quick response of Jones County Sheriff’s Office, we were actually able to catch him before he started the process.”
Spence is scheduled to appear in Jones County District Court Friday.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com.