Three charged in meth lab bust

Material used to make methamphetamine. Photo courtesy Rowan County Sheriff's Dept.

Pictured are Ashley Westbrook Rash, William Frank Reavis, III and Matthew Curtis Reavis.

Staff report

Three people have been charged in a meth lab bust in Woodleaf, and a child found in the home has been removed.

The Rowan County Sheriff's Office and the SBI searched a home at 740 Mount Vernon Road, off Cool Springs Road, on Monday, finding methamphetamine in several areas of the house. Investigators also located components of a meth lab.

Those charged are: - Ashley Westbrook Rash, 35, Mount Vernon Road, Woodleaf; charged with three felony counts: possession with intent to manufacture sell or deliver meth, manufacturing meth, and maintaining a dwelling for the manufacture of meth; misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and child abuse.

She is being held in the Rowan County Detention Center with bond set at $10,000. - William Frank Reavis III, 21, also of 740 Mount Vernon Road, Woodleaf, charged with felony possession of meth and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He is being held with bond set at $5,000. - Matthew Curtis Reavis, 21, 217 Leatherwood Drive, Statesville, charged with possession of meth and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is being held with bond set at $5,000.

During the search, detectives found a 17-month-old child locked in a bedroom. Acting Sheriff Kevin Auten said detectives deemed the situation extremely unsafe for the child. They charged the mother and contacted Rowan County Social Services, which took custody of the child.

The Criminal Investigations Division of the Sheriff's Office carried out the search, finding four grams of meth in various areas inside the house, as well as two grams of marijuana. Detectives found components of a meth lab outside, including numerous cold-medicine packages, empty battery hulls, glassware, fuel containers and starter fluid. Detective Chad Moose said it appeared the lab had been used recently.

Investigators were unable to determine how much meth had been produced since much of the waste — the cold-medicine packages, etc. — had been partially burned in a pile near the house. Despite nationwide efforts to control the sale of cold medicines used in meth production, this is the third meth lab bust in Rowan County this year.

Auten said people set on making meth are finding ways around the laws. In some cases, they get friends to go to stores and buy a couple packages apiece of products containing ephedrine.

To see a larger image of the meth making materials with descriptions provided by the Rowan County Sheriff's Department, click here.