MONTICELLO – An investigation into a domestic dispute has resulted in the arrest of a Wayne County man on charges of manufacturing methamphetamine.
Ronnie Dale Guffey, age 47, of Monticello Village Apartments, was also charged with assault by the Monticello Police Department and faces additional charges in Clinton County.
On Wednesday, January 6, the Monticello Police Department received a complaint of a domestic altercation at a Monticello business. Detectives from Operation UNITE, who were familiar with the subject, assisted officers in the investigation.
Based upon information obtained about the reported assault, officers obtained an arrest warrant for Guffey.
Continued investigation revealed that Guffey was reportedly involved in making methamphetamine and obtained a search warrant for Guffey’s residence.
About 1 p.m. Monticello officers arrested Guffey at the apartment complex without incident, but he refused to allow officers to conduct a search.
A short time later, after securing the search warrant, detectives discovered items used in the meth-making process were discovered. These included Coleman fuel, filters, ammonia nitrate, Pseudoephedrine pills and components of HCL generators, said Dan Smoot, law enforcement director for UNITE.
Enough evidence was found to charge Guffey with one count of manufacturing of methamphetamine. He was lodged in the Wayne County Detention Center.
UNITE detectives learned that Guffey may be using a second location – property off KY 90 in Clinton County a short distance from the county line — to do most of the “cooking” to produce methamphetamine.
After contacting detectives from the Albany Police Department, officers went to the site where they found approximately five active labs in bottles and about a half-dozen HCL generators in a vehicle and trailer. They were assisted by the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office.
UNITE assisted the local departments by neutralizing the methamphetamine lab.
Additional charges related to the discovery are expected by the Albany Police Department.