Montgomery County Commonwealth’s Attorney Mary Pettitt recently announced that Travis Radford, 30, of Christiansburg, pled guilty today to 28 counts involving the manufacture of methamphetamine.
Radford was sentenced to serve 14 years in prison with an additional 26 years suspended and to pay a fine of $300.
On Oct. 4, 2016, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Town of Christiansburg Police Department executed a search warrant at 4320 Cumberland Dr. in Christiansburg.
In the basement of the residence, police found multiple items associated with the manufacture and sale of methamphetamine, including camping fuel, muriatic acid, drain opener, scales, one gram baggies, brass knuckles, an Hcl generator, and pseudoephedrine pills.
In a shed they found four Hcl generators, lithium batteries, ammonium nitrate, funnels, coffee filters, drain opener, camping fuel and muriatic acid along with 20 grocery bags.
Each bag contained evidence of a separate methamphetamine cook conducted between July 1 and Oct. 4 of last year. The date of each manufacture was determined from the receipts and Radford’s notations on some empty pseudoephedrine boxes.
The items contained in each bag varied slightly but would generally consist of used one pot reaction vessels, empty pseudoephedrine boxes, empty lithium battery packages or lithium strips and receipts for pseudoephedrine.
Fourteen one-pot reaction vessels were seized. Based on the evidence seized, police estimate 176 grams of usable finished methamphetamine could have been produced with a street value of approximately $17,000.
Radford was interviewed and said he learned to cook methamphetamine two and a half years ago. Since then, he has cooked methamphetamine once a week and started cooking in the shed sometime around June 2016. He admitted the methamphetamine-related trash in the shed was from his cooks.
In a later interview, he said he would cook twice a week to get the supply up. Radford said he would always cook with Jackie Linkous, Jr., and would split the finished product with Linkous.
He gave a detailed description of his recipe. Other friends would bring him pseudoephedrine in exchange for either cash or .5 grams of methamphetamine.
Radford also made methamphetamine pipes to sell at trade shows & smoke shops. Radford said he personally used .5 grams of methamphetamine a day.
Investigation into the receipts and corresponding pseudo logs led police to identify 11 individuals who were involved in the methamphetamine manufacturing operation at Travis Radford’s residence.
Jackie Easton Linkous, Jr., 40 of Christiansburg, was convicted of two counts of Conspiracy to Manufacture Methamphetamine, six counts of Accessory Before the Fact to Manufacturing, and two counts of Manufacturing Methamphetamine.
He was sentenced to 50 years in prison with 40 years suspended and a $200 fine. Jerry Ray Vaught, 54, of Christiansburg, was convicted of Accessory Before the Fact to Manufacturing and was sentenced to 10 years with 8 years and 3 months suspended. Justin Scott Robinson, 24, of Christiansburg, was convicted of Accessory Before the Fact to Manufacturing and sentenced to five years all suspended. Pamela Sue Akers, 51, of Riner, was charged with Possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and given a deferred disposition based on participation in a drug treatment program and supervised probation.
Tim Wayne Radford, 48, of Christiansburg, was convicted of Conspiracy to Manufacture Methamphetamine and Accessory Before the Fact to Manufacturing. He was sentenced to 20 years with 18 suspended and a $200 fine.
Craig Steven Dowdy, 46, of Pilot, was convicted of Conspiracy to Manufacture Methamphetamine and sentenced to 10 years with 8 years and 3 months suspended.
Several others are awaiting trial. Jesse Allan Thomas, 31, of Christiansburg was charged with 16 counts of Conspiracy to Manufacturing. Trinity Michelle Allen, 20, of Christiansburg was charged with four counts of Accessory Before the Fact to Manufacturing. Darrell Scott Akers, Jr., 29, of Shawsville, was charged with eight counts of Accessory Before the Fact to Manufacturing and Conspiracy to Manufacture Methamphetamine. Christopher Robert Bibb, 36, of Shawsville, was charged with 20 counts of Accessory Before the Fact to Manufacturing and Conspiracy to Manufacture Methamphetamine.
Amber Nicole Reed, 28, of Shawsville, pled guilty to and was found guilty of Conspiring to Manufacture Methamphetamine and four counts of Accessory Before the Fact to Manufacturing. Her sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 26.
“Our community should be proud of the work done by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Christiansburg Police in breaking up this drug ring,” Pettitt said. “We will continue to demand lengthy prison terms for those engaging in the dangerous manufacture of methamphetamine.”
