S.C. man charged here with operating 'meth' lab

Two suspects still being sought

By Lisa Majors-Duff

Timothy Donald Bryant, 21, of Pickens, S.C., faces federal charges of manufacturing methamphetamines after officers with the Jackson County Sheriff's Department discovered the operation on Forest Service property on Bull Pen Road Nov. 20.

Two other South Carolina residents - Martin D. Mauldin and Patricia Hester, both of Liberty - are being sought in connection with the case, said Sheriff Jim Cruzan.

Sheriff's Department deputy Clyde Rice and U.S. Forest Service officer Steve Waldroop were responding to a report of an open fire at a roadside campground on Bull Pen, where they discovered two individuals and noticed items including propane tanks, a space heater, a large tub and several glass quart jars.

"Waldroop examined one of the jars, bringing it up to his nose, and immediately put it down," Cruzan said. "He realized the individuals were probably cooking methamphetamines."

Waldroop then told Rice that the two should issue the individuals a warning for the open fire as a condition of the statewide burning ban and leave the scene, which they did. After driving away from the scene, the two stopped and called for backup, Cruzan said.

Apparently as a result of fumes from the operation, both officers began to feel sick. Waldroop began feeling faint, while Rice experienced a tightening in his chest, the sheriff said.

Shortly after the two had requested assistance, the car and pickup truck they'd observed at the scene drove by at a high rate of speed, heading toward N.C. 107. The officers gave chase and stopped the car, which was driven by Bryant. Rice continued to pursue the pickup truck about 4 miles into South Carolina, where he lost the vehicle.

By the time backup had arrived, Waldroop's physical condition had worsened, Cruzan said.

"Waldroop was visibly ill," the sheriff said. "I sent both officers to the hospital to be examined."

Rice and Waldroop, who suffered minor chemical burns to his lip and nose, were both treated at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital and released later that evening.

"If anyone has any knowledge of this type of operation, they should report it to the Sheriff's Department and remain clear of the scene," said Cruzan. "It can be very dangerous."

State Drug Enforcement Agency officers were called in to clean up the campground, where Bryant indicated in a statement to law enforcement that he and the other suspects had cooked methamphetamines at least one other time.

In addition to DEA personnel, a dozen Sheriff's Department officers and six Forest Service law enforcement officers responded to the scene, Cruzan said.

It was Bryant, who is being held in federal custody under no bond, who implicated Mauldin and Hester. Through their investigation, officers determined the three were charged this past May in Pickens with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamines and conspiracy to operate a "chop shop," said Cruzan. Bryant also indicated he had recently been released from prison for similar offenses.

Back to Archive: 11/29/01.