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November 7, 2008

Coffee filters lead to three meth arrests

By Sean Bailey / Staff Writer

Three Tennesseans were arrested in Williamsburg early Thursday morning after a close search of their vehicle revealed they were hiding meth.

Williamsburg Police Officer Mike Taylor stopped a vehicle driven by David W. Williams, 39, of Jacksboro, Tenn. on Highway 92 West near the Wal-Mart, after Taylor saw the vehicle swerving in and out of the oncoming lane.

Taylor, upon conducting field sobriety tests, found that Williams had coffee filters in one of his pockets.

Coffee filters are one of the many items commonly used in the manufacture of meth.

Taylor received consent from Williams to search the rest of the vehicle. According to Public Affairs Officer Shawn Jackson, the car’s two occupants, Angela D. Williams 36, of Caryville, Tenn., and Danny L. Kesterson of LaFollette, Tenn. became “very nervous” during the search.

During the course of the search Taylor found a Cheeto’s can that appeared suspicious — and after further investigation Taylor discovered that the bottom of the can screwed off revealing a compartment that contained a “pinkish-white” substance believed to be methamphetamine.

“Officer Taylor did a really good job of finding it because it was hid very well,” Jackson said, “The subjects thought they were going to get by with it, but the search Officers Taylor and (Brandon) Prewitt did was too good.”

According to Jackson, the vehicle’s driver David W. Williams admitted to officers that the powdery substance was meth. Jackson said other items — in addition to the coffee filters — found in the car, and the large amount of meth found in the “secret compartment” led police to charge the suspects with trafficking of a controlled substance.

David W. Williams was charged with first-degree trafficking of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and careless driving. Kesterson and Angela D. Williams were also charged with first-degree trafficking of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

All three were arrested and lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center without incident.

Taylor is continuing the investigation, and was assisted at the scene by Officer Prewitt and Captain Eddie Cain.

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