Stoney Shew, Methamphetamine Conspiracy, North Carolina 2013

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In a coordinated effort to dismantle a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking operation in Western North Carolina, law enforcement officials announced the indictment of 17 individuals on charges of conspiracy and related offenses.

According to U.S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins, the indictment, which was returned by a grand jury on June 19, 2013, and unsealed on July 10, 2013, alleges that the defendants conspired to manufacture, possess, and distribute methamphetamine in Wilkes and surrounding counties between January 2009 and June 18, 2013.

The investigation, which was a joint effort by federal and state law enforcement agencies, resulted in the shutdown of over 15 methamphetamine laboratories and the seizure of five firearms. The defendants, who were arrested on July 9, 2013, are being held in custody pending their detention hearings, which have been scheduled for July 15, 2013.

The indictment charges the defendants with conspiring to distribute, possess with the intent to distribute, and manufacture more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Those named in the indictment include:

Stoney Shew, 32, of Wilkes County

Tony Lee Blevins, 45, of Wilkes County

Daniel Lee Foster, 36, of Wilkes County

Stephen Franklin Wood, 35, of Wilkes County

Brannon Allen McManus, 37, of Wilkes County

Crystal Gail Gregory, 34, of Wilkes County

Chad Douglas Church, 36, of Wilkes County

Michael Combs, A/K/A MC Hammer, 43, of Wilkes County

Abby Wilmoth, A/K/A Abby Jones, 33, of Wilkes County

Stephen James Blankenship, 36, of Wilkes County

Larry Don Brown, 53, of Wilkes County

Misty Ann Fender, A/K/A Misty Fender Gilbreath, 31, of Alleghany County

Matthew Chad Lovette, 32, of Wilkes County

Brookelyn Michelle Miller, 21, of Wilkes County

Rikki Ann Osborne, 37, of Wilkes County

Tony Steven Steelman, 26, of Wilkes County

Frankie Wayne Blevins, 46, of Wilkes County

The indictment also charges the defendants with possession of pseudoephedrine, with mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The possession of materials to make methamphetamine charge carries a term of imprisonment up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Law enforcement officials praised the joint effort that led to the indictment and the shutdown of the methamphetamine laboratories. ‘This investigation demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to dismantle and disrupt the operations of large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organizations,’ said U.S. Attorney Tompkins.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NC SBI), the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office, the Elkin Police Department, the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Wilkesboro Police Department.

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