Nevada County Sheriff Deputies Find Big Booby-Trapped Drug Bust
NEVADA COUNTY (CBS13) — A Nevada County man is under arrest after sheriff's deputies say they discovered his secret stash and a potentially dangerous surprise that was waiting for them.
Multiple agencies took part in the raid, and in the middle of it, they stumbled on something up a tree rigged with a trip wire.
"This one apparently was designed to work off a mousetrap and a shotgun shell, so if someone tripped it they could be shot," said Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal.
Living on a gravel road in rural Nevada County in a home hidden by a long, sloping driveway with signs warning to keep out and a surveillance camera posted in a tree, it's clear Daniel Meinke liked his privacy.
And Royal says he had plenty to hide.
"We were told there may be weapons, and he is an ex-felon," he said. "The warrant was also for drugs and other contraband."
Thursday morning's raid uncovered a treasure trove of alleged illegal activity—explosives, plus a pile of handguns and rifles that the convicted felon isn't allowed to have. There was also a big stash of marijuana and a butane honey oil lab at the property on Purdon Road.
Investigators believe several 50-gallon barrels buried in the ground were used to hide drugs.
In addition to the booby trap, deputies say they found a book inside the house on how to make one.
Royal says honey oil is the hottest drug on the black market right now, and says when Meinke was arrested, he was carrying several thousand dollars in cash. The potent form of hash is made by separating resins from cannabis buds by solvent extraction. But the process can be highly volatile and has resulted in explosions and serious injury.
But was Thursday's raid one of the bigger busts the sheriff's seen recently?
"No," he said smiling, "it's just the most recent."
