GUYTON, Georgia — A long-running drug investigation ended with the largest methamphetamine seizure ever recorded in Effingham County after investigators uncovered an extraordinary number of meth labs inside a single residence on McLaws Road.
Officials with the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant Wednesday at a home in the 400 block of McLaws Road, where they discovered more than 130 meth labs and arrested two local men, marking a major milestone in the county’s ongoing fight against illegal drugs.
Investigation Leads Back to a Familiar Area
Law enforcement officials said investigators were not surprised to be conducting another operation in the Pineora community, an area that has seen repeated drug activity over the years. What caught deputies off guard was the sheer scale of what they found inside the home.
According to investigators, 136 “one-pot” meth labs—plastic bottles containing chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine—were located throughout the residence. In addition, deputies found 42 “gassing generators,” containers believed to hold finished meth product.
Detective David Ehsanipoor, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said investigators initially expected to find only a small number of labs.
“We expected maybe a few, but we did not expect more than 130,” Ehsanipoor said, calling the discovery unprecedented for the county.
Along with the labs, deputies recovered items commonly used in meth production, including camp fuel and pseudoephedrine-based products, further confirming large-scale manufacturing activity.
Suspects Face Serious Drug Charges
Authorities identified the suspects as Daryl Westenbarger, 56, and Donald Wilt, 61, both residents of Guyton. Investigators charged both men with trafficking methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine, and possession of tools during the commission of a crime.
Officials confirmed that Westenbarger and Wilt are currently being held in the Effingham County Jail without bond as the case moves forward through the court system.
Months-Long Surveillance Operation
Investigators said the arrests followed a three- to four-month investigation that included surveillance of the McLaws Road residence and monitoring pseudoephedrine purchase logs at area pharmacies.
“We put surveillance on the residence and started tracking pseudoephedrine logs at local drug stores,” Ehsanipoor explained. “We believed methamphetamine was definitely being cooked at that residence.”
The coordinated effort allowed deputies to gather enough evidence to secure a search warrant, ultimately leading to Wednesday’s massive seizure.
A Pattern of Drug Activity on McLaws Road
Wednesday’s operation was not the first major drug case tied to McLaws Road. Investigators noted that the same neighborhood has been the site of multiple meth-related arrests over the past several years.
Ehsanipoor said that two years earlier, deputies executed a search warrant two doors down from the latest bust, discovering more than 60 meth labs in what was then the second-largest seizure in county history.
In that September 2011 case, Dean Collum, William Collum, and Karen Boutwell were arrested after investigators uncovered 62 one-pot meth labs and manufacturing materials. Dean Collum had also been arrested a year prior at the same address on meth-related charges.
Additional arrests followed in January 2012, when investigators located another meth lab off McLaws Road and arrested Perry Edwards on multiple drug and weapons charges.
Sheriff Calls Bust a Major Victory
Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie described the latest arrests as a significant step toward reducing meth distribution in the area.
“This is a huge success for us in the battle to eradicate this dangerous drug from our community,” McDuffie said. “The operation will decrease the amount of methamphetamine sold in our area.”
Officials emphasized that while Pineora has a documented history of drug-related activity, the majority of residents are law-abiding citizens.
“We have a history of drug activity in Pineora, but we also have a lot of good, law-abiding people in that community,” Ehsanipoor said. “We’re doing everything we can to clean up not just meth, but all the drug activity there.”
Conclusion
The discovery of more than 130 meth labs inside a single Effingham County home underscores both the scale of the meth problem and the impact sustained investigations can have. Sheriff’s officials say they will continue targeting drug manufacturing and trafficking operations while working to restore safety and stability in affected neighborhoods.
Residents are encouraged to report suspicious activity to local authorities and remain alert as investigations continue. Share your experiences or concerns in the comments below.
