Thursday, March 28, 2024

Castle Hayne meth lab busted by New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office

Over the three week investigation, six people were arrested at multiple locations. While there have been a number of high profile heroin busts in recent months, this operation targeted methamphetamine production.

Suspect photo gallery: six suspects arrested on March 20 and 21 during a joint SBI and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office operation against a Castle Hayne meth lab and distribution ring.

CASTLE HAYNE – Six members of an apparent methamphetamine production and distribution ring have been arrested by vice and narcotics detectives from the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.

After a 3-week investigation involving the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Sheriff’s detectives arrested Kerri Lynn Torres, 36, and Joshua Aaron Register, 33, on Tuesday, March 20. After executing a search warrant for selling methamphetamines from a house on the 200 block of McGregor Road, Torres and Register were booked on felony methamphetamine charges with no bond.

New Hanover County Sheriff's arrested six people over two days as part of a joint operation with the SBI against a Castle Hayne meth lan. (Port City Daily photo | COURTESY LT. JERRY BREWER)
New Hanover County Sheriff’s arrested six people over two days as part of a joint operation with the SBI against a Castle Hayne meth lan. (Port City Daily photo | COURTESY NEW HANOVER COUNTY SHERIFF’s OFFICE)

Following these arrests, detectives continued their investigation at neighboring houses. Over the course of the next day, detectives arrested four more people: Tracy Nicole Cagle, 40, Joshua Blain Skutt, 39, Raymond Hawes, 56, and Kelly Porcelli, 50. All four were booked on multiple methamphetamine related felonies with no bond.

According to warrants, Hawes and Porcelli were in possession of several ingredients of methamphetamine, including pseudoephedrine, sulfuric acid, petroleum distillates, sodium hydroxide, ammonium nitrate, and lithium metal.

Hawes and Porcelli also had plastic bottles used for cooking the ingredients into meth.

Cagle and Skutt were also in possession of some ingredients, as well as materials for packaging and selling the methamphetamine. Register and Torres were also in possession of methamphetamine and ingredients. Torres was also in possession of a digital scale, grinder, packaging and a glass pipe.

This residence on McGregor Road in Castle Hayne was the site of a meth lab bust by the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office and the State Bureau of Investigation. (Port City Daily photo | COURTESY OF NEW HANOVER COUNTRY SHERIFF's OFFCE)
This residence on McGregor Road in Castle Hayne was the site of a meth lab bust by the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation. (Port City Daily photo | COURTESY OF NEW HANOVER COUNTRY SHERIFF’s OFFCE)

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