Mobile meth lab nabbed

By Doug Russell
News Editor

July 07, 2007 05:10 pm

— Four of five people caught Sunday in what police are calling a mobile methamphetamine lab remained jailed Saturday.
Lisa Michelle Stone, 22; Brandon Lee Dunagan, 19; and Jimmy D. Stidmon, 25; all of Hartshorne, and Larry Keith Mickle, 31, Clayton, and Joshua Jack Kaiser, 25, Krebs, were arrested following a traffic stop in the 1200 block of South George Nigh Expressway at 5:23 a.m. Sunday.
All but Dunagan remained jailed Saturday, according to sheriff’s department records.
All are charged with manufacturing of a controlled dangerous substance or possession of material with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In addition, Stidmon was charged with possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony and operating a vehicle with improper tag lamps.
If convicted of all charges each faces up to life in prison.
The incident leading to their arrests started at about 4 a.m. Sunday, when McAlester police office Mickey Virden made a traffic stop in the 1200 block of East Carl Albert Parkway.
Virden had been heading west on the parkway when he spotted a red Pontiac pulling out of the Tandy Town shopping center and pulled it over, according to Det. Capt. Shawn Smith.
Virden noticed that Stone appeared to be moving as if trying to hide something, Smith said. He asked the driver, Stidmon, to step out of the vehicle and, while talking to the officer, Stidmon put his hands in his pockets.
After asking Stidmon several times to keep his hands out of his pockets, Smith said, Virden had Stidmon put his hands on the hood of his vehicle and did a pat-down search.
He found a partially loaded .22-caliber revolver, as well as a bag containing a white powdery substance, Smith said.
Further investigation revealed several jars containing a liquid with a white substance in it, as well as a needle with a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, she said.
“It was a good bust,” Smith said, adding “That’s a little bit more off the street.”