Drugs, explosives recovered in weekend bust
Published 3:00 pm Monday, June 15, 2015
Three people were arrested Saturday after drugs and multiple homemade explosives were found at a Dallas County home.
According to Dallas County Sheriff Harris Huffman, J. Carlton Sapp, 47, Walter Tyler Cameron, 22, and Shannon Williams O’Shields, 37, were arrested after a search warrant was executed at a home on Luker Circle.
Sapp was charged with unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and three counts of a felon in possession of an explosive device.
Cameron and O’Shields were each charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
According to Huffman, a deputy went to the home Saturday afternoon in reference to a report of stolen property.
“A deputy was following a lead on some stolen property. He went out to 20 Luker Circle, which is right off of U.S. Highway 80 East, and discovers some stolen property at the address,” Huffman said.
Huffman said the theft victim told the deputy who he thought was responsible for stealing his property and captured him on a hunting camera.
“The deputy said he knew who [Sapp] was so he went out there to talk to him. When he walked in, there was the crystal meth and the ingredients for a lab,” Huffman said. “The pipe bombs were in plain view and of course the guys stolen stuff was in plain view.”
Huffman said the deputy called for backup when he saw the drugs and bombs. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Bomb Squad, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fourth Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force and narcotics investigators with the sheriff’s department responded to the scene.
“It was determined the items were functional explosive materials,” said Special Agent Michael Knight with the ATF. “The ATF and ALEA Bomb Squad disposed of the explosive materials in a safe manner.”
Huffman said the explosives were homemade pipe bombs that did not contain projectiles in them.
“[Sapp] explained it to the deputy as being a big firecracker,” Huffman said. “From my understanding, there were no projectiles inside the pipe bomb. He is not a terrorist or an extremist. All three of them have been arrested and have a record through the sheriff’s office.”
Huffman said all three suspects had criminal records that contained previous drug and theft charges.
Carlton’s bond was set at $40,000, and bond for both Cameron and O’Shields was set at $10,000. According to Huffman, all three are still in custody at the Dallas County Jail.
According to Knight, Federal charges may be pending depending on the investigation, which is still ongoing.