UNION — A third person has been arrested for allegedly manufacturing methamphetamine and then illegally disposing of the waste.
James Keith Bumgardner, 44, 274 Hickory Creek Road, Jonesville, was charged by the Union Public Safety Department with manufacturing methamphetamine and unlawful disposal of methamphetamine waste.
The warrant for Bumgardner’s arrest for manufacturing methamphetamine states that on Sept. 18 he “did conspire, aid and manufacture methamphetamine while at 105 Partridge Road in the City of Union.” The warrant for his arrest for the unlawful disposal of methamphetamine waste states that on the same day and at the same address he “did knowingly assist and conspire with the disposal of waste from the production of methamphetamine.”
Public Safety Director Sam White said Monday that Bumgardner, who was arrested Thursday, had been sought by the department since Sept. 18 when officers serving a search warrant discovered a number of items used in the manufacture of methamphetamine in an outbuilding at a residence at 105 Partridge Road.
The items officers discovered included empty containers which White said were used to cook and store methamphetamine. Officers also founded discarded batteries and Ephedrine packages. White said the lithium in the batteries is extracted and used to cook the drug while Ephedrine is one of the ingredients.
In serving the warrant, officers found several people at the residence including Kayla Leree Murphy, 22, 105 Partridge Road, Union, and Dontey Jerome Gory, 28, 2539 Meansville Road, Jonesville. Murphy and Gory were detained and questioned about the items found in the outbuilding and told officers that they knew a third person, later identified as Bumgardner, had been making methamphetamine in the house.
Based on Murphy and Gory’s statements, officers were able to obtain a search warrant for Murphy’s house. In the ensuing search they found more items used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine including empty Ephedrine packages, coffee filters, batteries and an empty 20-ounce bottle by the carport door.
White said the unlawful disposal charge against Murphy, Gory and Bumgardner stemmed from the discovery of the bottle and the other containers. He said the contents of the bottle and the other containers had been disposed of, either by being poured down the sink or out on the ground. White said either method is dangerous because methamphetamine is flammable. If not disposed of properly it can explode.
In addition to the danger of fire and/or explosion, White said that methamphetamine waste is carcinogenic.
The search warrant for the outbuilding grew out of an investigation in which officers learned that Murphy had been purchasing Ephedrine. While she and Gory were being detained at her residence, White said officers did a check on Gory learned that he’d been blocked from buying Ephedrine on several occasions because he’d purchased more than 9 grams in 30 days. Because it is used as an ingredient in methamphetamine, the law does not allow a person to buy more than 9 grams of the drug in a month.
Murphy and Gory were arrested and were also charged with manufacturing methamphetamine and unlawful disposal of methamphetamine waste.
Editor Charles Warner can be reached at 864-427-1234, ext. 14, or by email at cwarner@heartlandpublications.com.
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