ROCKINGHAM — A Richmond County pair is facing multiple meth-related charges after police say they were mixing up the drug in an apartment.
The Rockingham Police Department’s narcotics division arrested 30-year-old Brandon Lynn Kiker and 31-year-old Myra Ann Horne on Monday following an investigation into complaints from the apartment complex about drug activity at 1239 Cauthen Drive.
According to police, there was one child inside the apartment and the Richmond County Department of Social Services was notified and responded.
Police say there was not an active cook going on at the time, but they did find several household items used to make meth, including lye, lithium and pseudoephedrine.
Kiker is charged with one felony count each of manufacturing methamphetamine, possession or distribution of a meth precursor, and maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance, in addition to one misdemeanor count each of possession of drug paraphernalia and child abuse.
Horne is charged with two counts each of possession or distribution of a meth precursor and misdemeanor child abuse, as well as one count each of manufacturing methamphetamine, maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
They were each booked into the Richmond County Jail under a $75,000 secured bond.
Online records with the N.C. Court System and the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction show neither has any other pending charges or past criminal convictions in North Carolina.
This is the first meth lab bust in the city limits in 2016, according to the narcotics division.
However, police and other volunteers found four one-pot, or “shake-and-bake” meth bottles in early March while cleaning up near the Cascades access point on Hitchcock Creek. Two more were found during a cleanup near the von Drehle access point.
According to statistics with the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, Richmond County had 27 meth labs in 2015 — ranking third in the state behind Johnston and Gaston counties.
To put things in perspective, Richmond County was tied with Stanly County for the seventh-highest number of meth labs in North Carolina in 2014 with 17 labs each, according to SBI figures. State agents responded to 25 meth labs in Richmond County from 2001-13.
So far this year, the SBI reports that Richmond County has had nine total meth labs — ranking the fourth-highest, following Johnston at No. 1 with 20, Wake County coming in second with 13 and Anson and Onslow counties tied for third with 11 each.
At least 20 people were convicted on federal meth charges stemming from Richmond County arrests last year.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Reach William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 and follow him on Twitter @William_r_toler.