A Leitchfield man is facing multiple felony drug and theft charges after an investigation into stolen truck parts led to the discovery of a methamphetamine manufacturing operation and indoor marijuana grow operation.
The investigation began Thursday morning when Grayson County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Sonny Poteet and Sgt. Clay Boone responded to a report of stolen truck parts at a property on Peonia Road. The victim told police he was missing four truck beds, multiple front and rear bumpers and a tailgate, along with other truck parts.
The victim said the value of the stolen property, according to the arrest citation, was in excess of $40,000.
(Grayson County Sheriff Norman Chaffins said the total amount of stolen vehicle parts located is over $70,000)
Yesterday afternoon at about 2:15, Poteet was traveling in the 2600 block of St. Paul Road when he noticed two trailers containing truck parts at a residence. Poteet notified Boone of what he found, and upon Boone’s arrival, they went to the residence to continue the investigation.
As Boone and Poteet arrived, a vehicle containing the property’s resident, 43-year-old Michael Shane Drake, was in a vehicle that was leaving the home, according to the arrest citation. Boone and Poteet stopped the vehicle and took Drake back to his residence. The owner of the stolen truck parts was summoned to the scene to identify the parts as his, which he did.
A search warrant was then served at the residence, with police finding additional stolen car parts. During the search for vehicle parts, police located drugs. A second search warrant was then obtained and executed at the residence by the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office and Greater Hardin County Narcotics Task Force.
During the execution of that warrant, which lasted until about 11:20 Thursday night and involved multiple GCSO deputies and task force members, law enforcement found methamphetamine, a methamphetamine manufacturing operation, a marijuana grow operation with 15-20 plants, and packaged marijuana, police said. According to Chaffins, firearms were also seized from the property.
Drake was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property (over $10,000), manufacturing methamphetamine (his second offense), possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), cultivating marijuana (five plants or more), trafficking in marijuana (over eight ounces).
He is lodged in the Grayson County Detention Center on a $50,000 bond.
A related arrest was made Friday morning, as Drake’s wife, Heather Drake, was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property (more than $10,000), manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), cultivating marijuana (five plants or more), trafficking in marijuana (over eight ounces). The man driving the vehicle Michael Drake was in as law enforcement arrived at his St. Paul Road residence on Thursday afternoon, 50-year-old Charles Haycraft, of Leitchfield, was arrested and charged with driving on a DUI suspended license, possession of a controlled substance (methadone), prescription drugs not in proper container, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Heather Drake is lodged in the Grayosn County Detention Center on a $50,000 bond, while Haycraft is being held at the GCDC on a $6,000 bond.
This investigation continues.
Michael Drake previously pled guilty to manufacturing methamphertamine after he was arrested in March 2005 in Grayson County. A court filing in that case said, “A series of methamphetamine related items were found in the search (of Drake’s property). Tests confirmed that methamphetamine was present in the majority of the items seized.”
On October 5 of this year, Drake was also arrested in Grayson County for DUI, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
