Boone County Sheriff's Department finds four meth labs in one week

Police started investigations after seeing a rise in meth activity.

By Katherine Miller

Published March 13, 2009

The Boone County Sheriff's Department discovered four methamphetamine labs and arrested seven people this week, a department news release stated.

The arrests were a result of a meth-focused investigation conducted during the second week of March by the department in cooperation with the Centralia and Ashland police departments.

By Thursday, the investigation led to seven arrests, 17 adults contacted, eight locations visited and four labs seized, the news release stated.

Sheriff's Department Sgt. Britt Shea said this is the first time the department has initiated a concentrated, multi-day investigation focused on meth.

"Generally, what prompted it was an increase in the methamphetamine activity and a steady stream of information we were receiving at the sheriff's department," Shea said. "The whole intention was to get out in front of this rise in activity."

Shea said five meth labs were found in 2008 and six meth labs have been found this year, including the four from this week.

Ryan Leach, 27, of Ashland, was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing meth within 2000 feet of a school, meth possession and first-degree endangerment of a child, the news release stated.

The lab in Ashland was located down the street from the Liberty Lane Learning Center.

Shea said the process of manufacturing meth is dangerous, which is why the additional charge was issued due to the proximity of a school. He said meth production can result in explosions, fires and some of the chemicals can release deadly gases.

Two young children were in Leach's home at the time of the arrest.

David Harmon, 36, of Centralia, was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing meth and possessing less than 35 grams of marijuana, the release stated.

Titus Brice, 30, of Columbia was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing meth and failing to appear for an open alcohol container warrant out of Montgomery County, the release stated.

David Atterbury, 36, and Michael Sexton, 33, of Columbia, were arrested on suspicion of possessing less than 35 grams of marijuana and Ethan Shaffer, 29, of Columbia, was arrested on suspicion of failing to appear for a driving while intoxicated warrant out of Callaway County.

Shea said Brice, Atterbury, Sexton and Shaffer were all arrested out of the lab at 2410 Grandview Circle in Columbia.

Another lab was seized on the 4300 block of O'Neal Road in Columbia, though Shea said no one was found at that location. He said the department is following leads to determine suspects who could be involved with that lab.

The O'Neal location was in a very rural area, Shea said.

All of the labs were found in rural areas, with the exception of the Grandview Circle location, which was in a suburban area. He said although there are exceptions, meth is typically more of a rural issue.

"Some of the ingredients needed to manufacture meth are found in more rural areas," Shea said. "The other reason is because the manufacturing process is kind of a smelly, long drawn-out process. It's much easier to hide in a rural, less-populated area than an urban area."

Shea said Boone County has historically been in the lowest third in Missouri for the number of meth labs seized.

"We, by a long shot, don't have the biggest meth problem in Missouri," Shea said.

Shea said drug investigations are a never-ending process, and the department might conduct another weeklong concentrated investigation, due to the positive results.

"We want Boone County to be known as a place that is not friendly to methamphetamine cooks," Shea said.