BREAKING METH'S HOLD

At this time last year, Sheriff Jimmy Thornton's frustration with the
raging methamphetamine problem in Sampson County had long since boiled
over.

The sheriff and his drug agents with the Special Investigation
Division (SID) were pulling their hair out, losing sleep with every
meth lab they found in the county -- and there were plenty. By the end
of April 2008, there had already been 20 meth labs discovered in a
year that was just a third of the way in.

Now, one year later, there have been just two labs found by sheriff's
authorities in the same four-month period.

The meth-related responses made by SID agents have dwindled from the
46 that netted 20 labs in the first four months of 2008 to just 13
meth-related responses in 2009, yielding two meth "dump sites," which
are not active labs but contain the discarded items from meth production.

Thornton does not hesitate when asked what has contributed to the
decline in labs.

He credits "Operation Juiced Out," an extensive investigation by the
Sheriff's Office, N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and the U.S.
Attorney's Office, with cleaning up the meth epidemic that had
blanketed the county. He said he is thankful for the SBI and U.S.
Attorney's Office for seeing a problem and offering their resources to
find a solution.

The operation was born out of frustration.

When Sampson sheriff's agents busted the 12th meth lab of 2008 on Feb.
21, matching the total number busted during the entire year in 2007,
Thornton was at his wit's end. Confronted with a problem that had
become rampant, the sheriff relayed his concerns and those he heard
from local residents in a phone call to U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding.

"We were bombarded," said Thornton, who was fielding constant calls
from worried citizens about the dangers in their own neighborhoods.
"(The public) took heed to that. It played a big role and caused my
frustration to call the U.S. Attorney's Office. And they stepped to
the plate. It got the ball rolling and it hasn't stopped since."

Beginning in late August and early September 2008, sheriff's
authorities, with the backing of state and federal agencies, began to
arrest those suspected of being at the heart of the meth activity in
Sampson. Once the smoke cleared, eight local individuals would be
arrested on felony charges of conspiracy to distribute meth.

"Operation Juiced Out was very successful," Thornton said. "The
citizens of this county can be thankful for the U.S. Attorney's Office
and the SBI for taking this on, and my staff as well. Nobody can
imagine the number of hours expended into the meth dilemma in this
county."

Those hours would pay dividends -- years of jail time for
offenders.

Indictments and guilty pleas for the eight individuals arrested would
follow. Those indictments were announced at a joint press conference
with the Sheriff's Office, SBI and U.S. Attorney's Office at the
Sampson County Law Enforcement Center in December.

Since that time, five of the eight have received federal prison
sentences ranging from five to 15 years.

And, even before "Juiced Out" suspects began to receive federal
sentences, the immediate impact their arrests had on Sampson County
was evident, sheriff's officials said.

"Ironically, after they were arrested, there was only six
(meth-related) responses and two labs (from Sept. 1, 2008 to the end
of the year)," said the SID commander, whose name is not disclosed due
to the undercover nature of his job.

Sheriff's Chief Deputy John Conerly noted that the final "Juiced Out"
arrest was actually made toward the end of September. According to SID
numbers, from Oct. 1, 2008 to the end of the year, there were just
three responses and a single lab seized in Sampson. That three-month
figure for the end of 2008 matched the total responses in September
alone.

In all, there were 24 meth labs and numerous other dump sites
discovered during 57 separate responses in 2008, which dwarf the
current projections for 2009.

"We're still getting calls, but nothing like we used to," the SID
commander said.

Thornton lauded Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Wells, who has served
as prosecutor for the government in the meth cases. He said many
prosecutors are still not aware of the intricacies of meth and its
production.

"We think everybody's knowledgeable about this stuff, but they're
not," Thornton said. "It was the first ever prosecution with meth
production in the state. This is uncharted waters."

In the wake of "Juiced Out"

Five of the individuals indicted in the extensive Sampson operation
have begun, or will soon begin, their stints in federal prison. The
fifth sentencing came this week.

Stevie McClenny, 51, of Roseboro, was sentenced Tuesday to 170 months
(14 years, two months), to be followed by three years supervised
release. The judge also ordered McClenny to pay restitution in the
amount of $5,055.89.

His sentencing followed four others sentenced this year as part of
"Juiced Out."

Samuel Faircloth, 42, of Autryville, was sentenced to more than five
years in prison. William Henry Paschall, 32, of Clinton, received a
sentence of seven years and Ramon Singleton, 29, of Newton Grove, was
sentenced to 10 years.

Craig Hobbs, 43, of Clinton, called the linchpin in Sampson's meth
activity, was sentenced to serve 15 years and ordered to pay
restitution in excess of $30,000.

Investigators said Hobbs received a license allowing him to purchase
anhydrous ammonia in 2004 and began to pose as an air conditioning
repairman in order to obtain the substance, key in meth production. He
then sold the anhydrous ammonia to meth cooks across the county.

Of the eight offenders in "Juiced Out," Hobbs was the only one who had
not been linked to specific meth lab discoveries in the county,
authorities said.

Still awaiting sentencing are Sabrina Ann Royal, 23, of Clinton, Adam
Strickland, 23, of Faison, and Corey Reed Harmon, 20, of Autryville.

"There's no parole in federal prison," Holding said late last year,
upon announcing the meth indictments. "That is the hammer of the
federal prison and we were glad we could bring that here to Sampson
County, to the people who are decimating their community."

And the hammer has not completely fallen yet.

"There's going to be some more indictments," Thornton assured. "That's
not over yet. There's more to come."

[Sidebar]

SAMPSON METH ACTIVITY -- ON THE DECLINE

From Jan. 1 to April 30 2008 2009

Meth-related responses 46 13

Meth labs found 20 2 (dump sites)

During the entire year

Meth-related responses 57 ?

Meth labs found 24 ?

Source: Sampson County Sheriff's Special Investigations Division