Investigators discover 36 old meth labs along railroad tracks
Ft. Gay, W.Va. — A man who had been on the run for a domestic incident in Wayne County, West Virginia is now behind bars. His arrest led the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit to their biggest meth bust ever.
West Virginia State Police said Michael Lee Bartram, II, 38, was wanted out of Genoa in Wayne County. Investigators say over the weekend, he hit his girlfriend several times.
The Sheriff’s Office stated that at about 3 a.m. Thursday, they received a 911 call about a breaking and entering in Dunlow, WV. When they got on scene, the homeowner told them he caught a man trying to break into an out building on his property, they had words, and the homeowner had fired a shot to scare the suspect off.
Investigators were able to determine the suspect was Bartram, who was known to frequent the area. This morning, deputies were able to locate Bartram at a house on Cass Street in Fort Gay, WV., a residence located just 2 blocks from city hall. While making the arrest, deputies found meth making materials and called in the Wayne County Drug Enforcement Unit.
Investigators with the DEU say that while they were responding, Tonya Cox and Amy Berry also arrived on scene.
Agents say Berry got out of the vehicle after seeing law enforcement and ran into the woods near the trailer and tried to hide liquid fire. They say she also had a backpack that contained drain cleaner, pliers, and a pipe cutter, all of which are used to make meth.
Investigators say Cox admitted she knew Berry was taking the meth making materials to the home and that she helped her gather the materials.
The owner of the trailer, Deborah Cabral gave the investigators permission to search her house. There they found a meth lab and meth making materials.
Cabral admitted to investigators that Bartram would frequently walk the railroad tracks out back. Investigators say along the tracks, they found 36 old meth labs, and numerous meth making items. Deborah Cabral is the mother of Crystal Cantrell, the same woman that was part of the heroin bust in a story posted by The Lazer yesterday
DEU investigators say according to the Pseudoephedrine Database, Cox made 7 pseudoephedrine purchases in the last year and Bartram had made nine purchases so far this year. They say he had been blocked from buying the drug three times already this year. Berry told investigators she could not buy pseudoephedrine because she didn’t have an ID.
The DEU says they received multiple calls about drug activity at the residence.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit, West Virginia State Police and US Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force assisted in the investigation.
All four were arrested on drug charges.
