Published: October 05, 2009 11:31 am      

Three meth labs lead to eight arrests

Five London residents charged with manufacturing

Times-Tribune Staff Report

Kentucky State Police officers in Laurel County found three suspected meth labs over the weekend within hours of each other, arresting a total of eight people.

Trooper Christopher Roberts and Trooper Michael King were attempting to serve a criminal warrant at a residence in the Cornett Subdivision in Laurel County at about 11 p.m. Saturday, where they discovered two active methamphetamine labs.

Seven people were arrested at the scene.

Those charged with first-degree manufacturing methamphetamine were 30-year-old Ronnie Lockaby, 45-year-old Randy Collier, 19-year-old Whitney Goodin and 28-year-old Stephanie Walters, all of London.

Also arrested were 23-year-old Joshua Hess of Fariston, charged with second-degree fleeing or evading police (on foot) and giving false name or address to an officer. Daniel Leddington, 24, and Geneva Leddington, 22, both of Fariston, were both charged on bench warrants.

All of the accused were lodged in the Laurel County Detention Center.

Trooper Roberts is in charge of the investigation and was assisted at the scene by Trooper Michael King, Sergeant Steve Walker, Deputy Stephen Walker and members from the Laurel County Department of Public Safety.

Another London resident was arrested in a separate incident early Sunday morning.

Just before 1 a.m. Sunday, KSP Trooper Don Sivils and KSP-CVE Officer Michael Hamblin responded to a complaint of a possible active meth lab in the Lily community of Laurel County.

Trooper Sivils and Officer Hamblin, while investigating the complaint, detected a strong chemical odor around a residence on US 25 South in Lily.

Further investigation led to the discovery of an active methamphetamine lab and the arrest of James A. Cawood, 36, of London.

Cawood was arrested and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine first offense, first-degree possession of a controlled substance first offense, drug paraphernalia first offense, and second-degree possession of a controlled substance first offense.

Cawood was lodged in the Laurel County Detention Center.

Trooper Sivils is in charge of the investigation and was assisted at the scene by KSP-CVE Officer Michael Hamblin, Sergeant Steve Walker and members from the Laurel County Department of Public Safety.