Grand jury to hear W’burg meth manufacturing case

 Five Williamsburg residents, who are being held in the Whitley County Detention Center in lieu of $50,000 cash bonds, could find out as early as next month whether they will be indicted for methamphetamine manufacturing.

Following a series of preliminary hearings Monday morning involving four officers from two departments, Whitley District Judge Cathy Prewitt found probable cause to bind cases against Johnny Hill, 29, Shelly Lawson, 33, Jennifer B. Mattie, 27, Dillon A. Croley, 21, and Robert Mattie, 39, over to the Whitley County Grand Jury.

She ordered each defendant, who is charged with first-offense manufacture of methamphetamine, to report to Whitley Circuit Court on May 18 to see if they have been indicted by the grand jury.

Hill, Croley and Robert Mattie are all charged with additional offenses in connection with the investigation and the grand jury will consider those charges too. All five have pled not guilty to their charges during their arraignments Thursday afternoon in Whitley District Court.

Police are also looking for a sixth man, who got away, in connection with the case.

The April 7 incident began about 5:19 p.m. after Kentucky State Police received an anonymous tip about several subjects allegedly manufacturing methamphetamine at a residence on Highway 92 East. The residence is identified as either 5862 or 5864 KY 92 East in various court documents.

KSP contacted Williamsburg Police Sgt. Jim Pool to get K-9 support and officers from both departments went to investigate, according to releases from both agencies.

When police arrived at the scene, they spotted several individuals running from the residence into a wooded area.

Four individuals, Hill, Lawson, Jennifer Mattie and Croley, were apprehended and arrested without incident after a foot pursuit and track by Williamsburg Police Canine "Tom," K-9 Officer Brandon Prewitt and Pool.

All four were taken back to the residence where police discovered an active one-step methamphetamine lab on the back porch of the residence along with meth precursors and drug paraphernalia.

KSP Drug Enforcement Special Investigation units were notified to respond to the residence in order to neutralize the hazardous materials.

While police were waiting on special investigation officers to arrive, they observed a 1992 Chevrolet Camaro pull into the driveway.

When the operator of the vehicle, who was later identified as Robert Mattie, observed police at the residence, he allegedly backed out the driveway and fled eastbound at a high rate of speed.

KSP Sgt. Tony Dingess initiated a vehicle pursuit and activated his emergency lights and siren in an attempt to stop the vehicle.

The vehicle traveled eastbound for about one mile when a backpack containing methamphetamine precursors was tossed from the vehicle, and then Robert Mattie slowed the vehicle to a stop and Dingess arrested him without incident.

Police later recovered the alleged backpack, which contained methamphetamine precursors.

While Mattie was backing up turning around in the driveway, a female passenger in the vehicle allegedly jumped out the back driver’s side of the vehicle and ran, Dingess wrote on Mattie’s arrest citation.

When Mattie reached the intersection of the driveway and Ky. 92, a man, who was later identified as Andrew Stines, 44, of Williamsburg, allegedly jumped from the passenger’s side door of the vehicle and fled the scene on foot, according to the releases.

His whereabouts are unknown at this time, and police are asking anyone with information about Stines’ whereabouts to contact state police at (606) 878-6622 or 1-800-222-5555 or Williamsburg police at (606) 549-6038.

Stines currently has an active arrest warrant for manufacturing methamphetamine stemming from a prior incident, according to one release.

In addition, police filed other charges against some of the individuals involved.

Prewitt also charged Croley with first-degree fleeing or evading police, first-degree possession of a controlled substance and second-degree possession of a controlled substance.

Pool also charged Hill with first-degree fleeing or evading police. Hill allegedly knew he had a warrant for his arrest when he fled on foot, Pool wrote on the arrest citation.

Dingess also charged Robert Mattie with speeding 10 mph over limit, failure to wear seatbelts, operating on a suspended/revoked operator’s license, careless driving, and first-degree fleeing or evading police.

Lawson was also charged with four counts of failure to appear on unrelated charges.

Police were on the scene of the incident for about five hours.

KSP Trooper Duane Foley is continuing the methamphetamine investigation. Dingess is continuing the vehicle pursuit investigation.