Meth lab busted near Mackville

Howard James Craddock Jr.

Lori Lee Baker

Two people were arrested near Mackville Sunday in connection with a meth lab being operated in a mobile home.
According to Jim Smith, a detective of the Springfield Police Department assigned to the Kentucky State Police Drug Task Force, the meth lab was found after several anonymous tips from people in the Mackville area.

Howard James Craddock Jr., 50, and Lori Lee Baker, 37, were both arrested at their residence at 1832 Harrodsburg Road in Washington County.
Smith said the arrests came as the result of a four- to five-day investigation. He said the residence was under surveillance for a while, which led him to get a search warrant, and that warrant was executed Sunday afternoon.
“We recovered several meth precursors, and we also found several old one-cook meth containers that had been used, but the lab was not active at the time we went in,” Smith said.
Each face charges of manufacturing methamphetamine, first offense; trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine), 1st Degree, first offense; possession of marijuana; trafficking in a controlled substance 2nd Degree, first offense (drug unspecified); unlawful possession of meth precursor, first offense; and drug paraphernalia buying/possession. Smith said the precursors are products used to create meth, such as lithium batteries, lye, liquid Drano, and other common chemicals.
Craddock and Baker are both lodged in the Marion County Detention Center, and bond for each has been set at $75,000 cash.