Police find meth lab, bombs at Laurel home
LONDON – Police destroyed several bombs apparently intended to booby-trap a methamphetamine lab at a northern Laurel County home Tuesday night.
Police arrested 34-year-old Robbie L. Brummett, 382 Highway 1228, East Bernstadt
“The devices were highly explosive and dangerous,” said Joel Cunigan,
Cumberland Task Force manager for Operation UNITE. “All he would have had to do is to hook them up to a detonating device in order to set them off.”
Police arrested 34-year-old Robbie L. Brummett, 382 Highway 1228, East Bernstadt, with unlawful possession of methamphetamine precursors,
manufacturing methamphetamine with a firearm enhancement, controlled substance endangerment to a child fourth-degree, and two counts criminal possession of a destructive device/booby-trap device.
Brummett’s wife and her 3-year-old daughter were also at home when police arrived. Cunigan said the child was turned over to the custody of her grandparents and charges against his wife are pending further investigation.
“This case points to the potential dangers posed by meth labs,” said Karen Engle, executive director for UNITE. “Anyone who suspects someone is making meth – whether at their home, in a field or in a vehicle – should call police immediately. Fortunately nobody was injured this time, but the danger is always present.”
UNITE detectives went to Brummett’s house in the Hazel Patch community at 3:30 p.m. December 6 to investigate information that he had purchased more than the state’s new 9-gram limit of pseudoephedrine in a 30-day period.
Pseudoephedrine, commonly found in cold medications, is one of the main ingredients needed for manufacturing methaphmetamine. Stricter limits went into effect June 21 following the General Assembly’s passage of Senate Bill 63 earlier this year.
SB 63 also created a new statute making it a felony for individuals who permit a child to be present near a hazardous chemical with the intent to manufacture a controlled substance, increased the degree of the offense if a firearm is used in furtherance of a drug-related crime, and allows police to charge a person with manufacturing meth when two or more chemicals or items of equipment are found if it can be shown there was intent to produce.
“The value of Senate Bill 63’s provisions cannot be more clearly demonstrated than from this case,” Engle said. “Had it not been for the collective voice of citizens from southern and eastern Kentucky we would not have been able to remove dangerous criminals, such as Brummett, from our neighborhoods and streets.”
When initially approached Brummett refused to give consent for detectives to search his home and nearby sheds, Cunigan said. “Based upon our original information and conversations with the suspect, however, we secured the scene, proceeded to obtain a search warrant, and called for additional personnel.”
At 7:10 p.m. detectives returned with a search warrant signed by Laurel Circuit Court Judge Greg Lay.
Assisting in the search were Brian Reams, Laurel County Public Safety and Homeland Security director, and a Kentucky State Police K-9 unit.
“Within about 20 minutes we found some finished product (approximately 3-4 grams of methamphetamine) and a .22-caliber rifle in the house,” Cunigan said. “The components of a recently used lab were discovered in a shed.”
Cunigan said while looking in the shed he “found a device that looked like it could be an improvised explosive device. As soon as we found that we locked down the premises and called for the Kentucky State Police Bomb Squad and the ATF.”
“Once they arrived and started looking in the building we also found
monofilament fishing line running inside that may have been intended to trigger one of the explosive devices,” Cunigan noted.
Two containers wrapped in black electrical tape containing gunpowder and a rocket motor were discovered along with an air bag that had been removed from a vehicle – which can cause serious injury when deployed. All three explosive devices were destroyed at the home by members of the KSP Bomb Squad.
Law enforcement officials cleaned up the meth lab and cleared the scene about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Brummett was lodged in the Laurel County Detention Center.
Other agencies assisting with the investigation were the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office and the Laurel County Hazardous Materials Team.
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In 2003, Fifth District Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (R-Somerset) worked to create Operation UNITE, a regional anti-drug initiative empowering citizens groups and community leaders in 29 southern and eastern Kentucky counties. UNITE, which stands for Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment & Education, seeks to fight the drug epidemic by expanding drug awareness and education programs to keep people from using drugs; coordinating drug treatment and outreach programs for those who are already addicted; and operating regional undercover law enforcement task forces for interdiction and prosecution of those dealing drugs. Rogers has directed $32 million in federal funds to the counter-drug initiative over the past three years. For more information contact Karen Engle toll-free at 1-866-678-6483.
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Drug Tip Hotline – 1-866-424-4382
Treatment Referral Hotline – 1-866-90-UNITE (1-866-908-6483)
Dale Morton
Communications Coordinator
http://mail.alltel.net/agent/MobNewMsg?to=dmorton@centertech.com
(606) 677-6179
1-866-OP-UNITE
1-866-678-6483
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