Thursday, May 30, 2013
The Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT) announced the "arrests and dismantling of two separate methamphetamine organizations operating throughout Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, and Bulloch Counties."
In 2011, CNT began investigating several members of the Basham family following complaints of suspected drug activity resulting in the arrests of a husband and wife. Thomas and Melodie Basham were arrested in Bryan County by CNT in December 2011 following the seizure of a meth lab. Both Thomas Basham and Melodie Basham were charged with Manufacturing Methamphetamine by CNT and both were also charged with meth related charges by the Richmond Hill Police Department in a separate investigation.
The purchases were made in 12 counties in Georgia and two counties in South Carolina. Based on the known amount of purchased pseudoephedrine, it’s estimated the organization "had produced over 14 ounces of methamphetamine and produced an estimated 200 methamphetamine labs. The produced methamphetamine would have an estimated street value of up to $40,000."
March 26, 2013, CNT began a separate investigation following the discovery of a discarded meth lab on Cuyler Road in Bryan County. During that investigation, CNT found components of the meth lab were purchased or obtained in Chatham County. CNT identified a total of four people connected to the lab, Christopher Davis, Heather Dunn, Kimberly Carney, and Lisa Williams. "Persons manufacturing methamphetamine often discard the finished lab by simply throwing it into a wooded area or by leaving it on a roadway," a spokesman says.
On June 22, 2013 ten people in the Basham organization and all four in the discarded lab incident were indicted in the Superior Court of Chatham County.
Early yesterday morning, CNT in a working partnership with the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tri Circuit Counter Drug Task Force, executed multiple arrest warrants and one search warrant throughout Chatham, Bryan and Bulloch Counties. A total of ten people were arrested.
The search warrant in the 4100 block of Bacontown Road in Pembroke resulted in the arrests of several of the wanted persons, seizure of methamphetamine and items commonly used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine. Of the ten arrested yesterday, Christopher Davis, Heather Dunn and Hope Mitchell were already in custody in the Bryan County Detention Center on methamphetamine related charges. Roger Basham turned himself in at the Bryan County Detention Center earlier this morning.
Says CNT Director Everette Ragan, “This is CNT following through on its promise to the community to conduct long term investigations thus identifying all persons involved and dismantling the entire organization.”
Tags: Meth , methamphetamine , Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team , CNT , Bryan County , Richmond Hill , Pembroke