Busted: Dodson hit with federal charges
The owner of Bridgeside Market was arrested by federal authorities Friday, charged with selling chemicals from his store for use in making methamphetamine.
The suspect, Gary Lee Dodson, 54, was arrested along with associate Lester Lee Land, 44, Friday morning by agents with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. They are both charged with felony conspiracy to manufacture meth.
The arrests at the store located on Beersheba Highway come following an undercover operation in which the suspects allegedly sold meth components to undercover agents. The components consisted mainly of ephedrine, which is a necessary ingredient used in the manufacture of meth. Ephedrine is often sold over the counter, however, there are restrictions on the volume of its sale.
The Friday morning arrests came weeks after the sheriff’s department raided the store, at which time they allegedly found a gun and a small amount of drugs. The charges from that raid were dropped this Tuesday after it was learned a federal grand jury had indicted Dodson on conspiracy charges. Agents reported finding a substance believed to be meth in Land’s possession during Friday’s raid.
According to Sheriff Jackie Matheny, one way to stem the epidemic of meth production here is to slow the flow of items, such as ephedrine, which are used in its production.
“Arrests like this are definitely important in cutting down meth production here,” Matheny said. “We’ve tried to warn merchants about the dangers of selling items like ephedrine to potential meth manufacturers and this should send a loud message. But, for the most part, merchants are very cooperative here when it comes to these materials.”
The suspects will be transported to Chattanooga Tuesday for arraignment before a federal magistrate.