ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — An investigation that began in October 2013 into a meth lab operation producing $4 million worth of the drug led to the indictment of 26 people across the area, according to the State Bureau of Investigation.
The meth labs were found at 12 locations in several counties, including the RCC Western Store that used to be at the Concord Mills Mall and three mobile labs.
Lindy Pistone, a former manager of the RCC Western Store that was formerly located in the mall, cooked meth inside after hours, investigators said.
Pistone invited friends over to join her cooking meth inside the store's bathroom up to a dozen times, officials said.
Concord Mills sent a statement that said they "learned of this very serious matter through state authorities. As this is a closed matter, we ask that all further inquiries be directed to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation."
In addition to the SBI, the Rowan, Stanly and Richmond county sheriff's offices and the Salisbury, Mooresville and Landis police departments investigated the meth operation.
The results of the investigation were taken to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of North Carolina, and a grand jury returned a true bill of indictment in October 2014.
The 26 defendants were taken into federal custody over the next three months.
The majority of the defendants were in North Carolina, but four of the defendants were in Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina and Indiana.
These arrests were made with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The defendants were sentenced to various prison terms.
Those sentenced included Jessie Don Woodhull, April Marie Woodhull, Georgia Lee Bellamy, Joshua Dean Atwell, Brian Lee Holt, Rickey Harding Wagner, Jr., Amber Lynn Pierontoni, Jeremy Andrew Atkins, Katie Alexandria Kerr, Sara Elizabeth Horton, Joseph Andrew Daniels, Nicholas Shane Rabon, Paul Andrew Smith, Albert Ray Barringer, Caleb Shane Whitley, Joshua Eran Tarlton, Kimberly Jayne Davis, Jonathon David Hilson, Ricky Charles Holshouser, Jr., Megan Victoria Yates, Lindy Christie Pistone, J.R. Bullard, Michael Eugene Weitzel, III, Sharon Lewis Bruce, Nicholas Cody Baker and Gary Wayne Lyles.
Agents determined that clandestine methamphetamine labs were operated at the following locations:
- RCC Western Store, 8111 Concord Mills Blvd., Concord (Concord Mills Mall)
- 320 Goodman Dr., Salisbury
- 340 Goodman Dr., Salisbury
- 165 Scaleybrook Dr, Salisbury
- 1070 Matika Dr., Salisbury
- 1535 Ribelin Rd., Salisbury
- 1018 Church St., Faith, N.C.
- 155 Beth Dr., China Grove
- 4385 Highway 200, Stanfield
Clandestine methamphetamine labs were found inside vehicles at the following locations:
- U.S. Highway 29, Salisbury
- N.C. Highway 150, Mooresville
- U.S. Highway 74/NC Highway 38, Hamlet