Arizona firefighter arrested for allegedly operating a meth lab in his home
SELLS, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A Tohono O’odham Nation member and a firefighter were arrested for allegedly operating a methamphetamine lab in a mobile home, according to agents.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said 36-year-old Stephen Folson and 29-year-old Desiree Sacrificio admitted to conspiring and processing meth after agents searched their home in a remote area of the village of Santa Rosa.
On Monday, agents found Folson and his two teenage sons in the home along with meth equipment and products such as ventilation systems, glass pipes, soda bottles, acetone, allergy medicine, lighter fluid, torches, and other items.
Homeland Security Investigation said the investigation started when agents found leads pointing to suspicious purchases and shipments for several months.
Agents said when Folson was arrested, he admitted he was using meth for nine, 10 years and had been making meth for about three years.
He went into detail describing to agents how he purchased his ingredients from China and Canada. He also made purchases with his debit card from eBay.
Folson confessed he knows cooking meth is dangerous and toxic but needed it to function every hour.
“Meth labs are basically ticking time bombs, waiting for a single spark to ignite and explode causing irreparable damage and, in the most extreme cases, death,” said special agent in charge, Scott Brown. “Not only is this an environmental hazard, but one that should have never been operated by someone in a position of public trust. The defendants most certainly knew better. The discovery of the meth lab is yet another example of the importance of partnering with federal agencies to leverage all capabilities to disrupt illicit activities along the southwest border.”
