Westminster Man arrested for manufacturing Meth

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Westminster man over the 4th of July weekend on charges of manufacturing methamphetamine. A deputy observed a vehicle facing the wrong direction of travel late Saturday night on Newry Road. As the deputy approached the vehicle, the deputy observed some suspicious movement inside the vehicle. The driver, 29-year-old Mark Evan Medlin of Westminster, exited the vehicle and spoke to the deputy. Medlin told the deputy that there were some items inside the vehicle that belonged to a friend after the deputy told Medlin that there was probable cause to search the vehicle based on Medlin saying there might be some narcotics in the vehicle. The deputy began a search and noticed a strong chemical odor emanating from the vehicle. The deputy discovered a plastic bottle that appeared to contain a shake and bake meth lab. A bag was discovered that contained items that could be used to make methamphetamine. A Narcotics Agent was notified and was dispatched to the scene and arrangements were made to recover and remove the chemicals. Medlin was placed under arrest and the judge set his bond at $25,000. Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw said, “The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind our citizens that these shake and bake meth labs are very dangerous. We have seen instances in which these bottles used to make meth have been discarded in the areas beside our roadways in Oconee County. We have issued press releases in regards to these meth labs and we would like to remind everyone that if you discover a bottle that has a white milky substance inside or appears to be suspicious, please contact the Sheriff’s Office or your local law enforcement agency so the bottles can be properly disposed of. Also, do not open the bottles due to potential risk of explosion if there is moisture in the air or breathe in the contents as this is a health risk that can cause serious injury due to the chemicals that are used.”