Four Suspects Arrested After Latest Lexington County Meth Lab Bust

Lexington County continues into its second year of success busting meth labs.

Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts said deputies arrested Stephen Jack Bostic, 57, for trafficking in methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine, improperly disposing of waste from a methamphetamine laboratory, unlawfully altering pseudoephedrine and two counts of possessing a controlled substance; Rallie Ray Quarles, 39, for trafficking in methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine, improperly disposing of waste from a methamphetamine laboratory and unlawfully altering pseudoephedrine; and Crystal Marie Padgett, 30, and Bryan Keith Sheppard, 38, for trafficking in methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine, improperly disposing of waste from a methamphetamine laboratory, unlawfully altering pseudoephedrine and possessing a controlled substance.

Around 9:45 PM on Wednesday, April 9th, officers from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and the Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team (NET) investigated information about a potential meth lab operating in a home near Gaston, SC. When they executed a search warrant on the home, officers found one three-liter bottle, and three additional containers, which were being used as reaction vessels for a portable meth lab.

Officers also searched Quarles’s person and found two coffee filters that had a substance believed to be methamphetamine. When officers searched Bostic’s person, they found a plastic bag containing a substance believed to be methamphetamine, as well as several pills.

All four meth lab suspects are being held at Lexington County Detention Center.

The Rise of Meth Labs in South Carolina

Statistics from 2000 show that South Carolina had one of the lowest rates of methamphetamine use in the country.

However, those numbers are changing as meth labs become more portable, and meth manufacturers become more savvy. Between 2007 and 2011, incidents of busted meth labs increased more than 10 times – 26 in 2007, to 267 in 2011. News reports show meth lab busts in some part of South Carolina nearly every week.

Two years ago, South Carolina lawmakers attempted to stop the fast-growing trend by placing limits on the amount of pseudoephedrine customers can purchase, and pharmacists – who keep the drug behind counters – swipe the customer’s driver’s license to see if limits have been met. Electronic tracking should, in theory, stop meth manufacturers from buying large amounts of the necessary chemical.

However, the portable meth labs use less of the drug by creating smaller amounts of methamphetamine.

All meth labs use dangerous, deadly chemicals, and are prone to explosions – even the portable ones. In the shake and bake method, manufacturers must constantly unscrew the lid of the bottle to relieve pressure. When not monitored closely, the bottles can explode, spraying dangerous chemicals everywhere.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Meth Lab Drug Crimes Charges

The drug crime attorneys at Strom Law Firm, LLC will aggressively defend your case whether you are under investigation or have been arrested for drugs in all State and Federal Courts in South Carolina as well as the Federal Courts in Georgia. Drug cases, including meth lab busts, need to be examined from every angle, and in many cases are subject to mandatory minimum sentences. Aggressive representation can protect your future. Drug crime charges and drug busts in South Carolina are very serious. If you have been charged with possession, trafficking, or manufacturing drugs, the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so contact us today by calling (803)252-4800.