Tree farm meth
Authorities arrested a man on drug charges Friday after they reported finding methamphetamine on his property, which is used as a Christmas tree farm.
Investigators found Joseph Virgil McCreless, 46, hiding inside a compartment hidden underneath the false floor of a master-bathroom cabinet, according to a Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office release.
Authorities found about six grams of meth inside the house and more than 1,500 grams in an out building where McCreless is believed to have been producing the drug, said investigators.
Some of the hazardous waste byproducts of the lab were found in containers buried on the property, where McCreless grows Christmas trees and sells them during the holiday season, according to the release.
McCreless faces charges of possession of meth, trafficking in 200 grams or more of meth, possession of chemicals to manufacture meth, possession of felony narcotic equipment and possession of drug paraphernalia, investigators reported.
He is being held on a $200,000 bond.
His girlfriend, Marsha Gail Richardson, 44, who was in the home when authorities arrived, faces charges of possession of paraphernalia and possession of meth, the release stated.