Man arrested for having multiple meth labs near Corbin school

A Corbin man is in jail today following a late-night raid Wednesday on his home, and authorities are accusing him of making methamphetamine right next door to a busy local school.

Thirty-seven-old Michael Hardesty is charged with manufacturing meth, possession of meth, possession of marijuana and public intoxication in the wake of a bust at his home by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department.

According to officials, the whole incident started when members of the Oak Grove and Woodbine volunteer fire departments were called to the home, at 272 Leslie Lane just off Fifth Street Road, after neighbors heard an explosion and saw "thick black smoke" coming from the residence. As it turns out, Hardesty had just knocked over a pressure washer, causing oil to back up into the motor. But law enforcement officials became curious when they noticed strange odors at the residence and asked to look around. Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Hodge was the first officer on the scene.

"He (Ben Hodge) asked if he could search his residence and the guy said that was no problem," said Whitley County Sheriff Lawrence Hodge, who is assisting with the investigation. "When he asked if he could search his outbuilding, the guy said no so that’s when Ben got curious."

Odd, police say, was the fact that Hardesty had a network of six surveillance cameras attached to the large outbuilding — a sure sign, they contend, that something was amiss.

"You have a home that kids live in with no security but six cameras on your outbuilding? That doesn’t make any sense," Hodge said.

Hardesty is on parole for previous violations and Hodge said probation officer Jason Wilson was summoned to the residence to search the building. He needed no search warrant to do so.

Inside the building, deputies found several active and inactive meth labs ranging from more traditional styles to the new "shake and bake" method.

"The smell out here would just kill you," Hodge said.

Police recovered about three ounces of finished methamphetamine and said there is roughly another three ounces from the labs. Also found were all the ingredients to make the drug, baggies of marijuana, a switch blade knife and a glass "smoke pipe."

Since police were unable to purchase any meth from Hardesty in an undercover capacity, Hodge said they were unable to charge him with more serious drug trafficking. Still, the proximity of the meth labs to Corbin Primary School is alarming. Leslie Lane is directly across the street from the entrance to the school.

"People need to beware that we aren’t going to tolerate this kind of activity anywhere, but especially this close to a school," Hodge said.

he also said police seized all the drug related items found at the home and also took possession of a Chevrolet Cobalt car.

Also part of the investigations were deputies Rick Fore, Terry Beaumont, Ron Bowling, Brett Reeves, Denny Shelly and Brett Reeves.