Joint Investigation by Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Laurel County Sheriff’s Office Leads to the Discovery of DMT and Methamphetamine Labs in Laurel County.
LONDON, KY - On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office conducted a burglary investigation in the Girdler community of Knox County that led to a search warrant in Laurel County. Knox County deputies identified a residence in Laurel County where stolen firearms from the burglary were located.
Knox Sheriff’s Office and Laurel Sheriff’s Office investigators executed a search warrant at the residence of Doug Simons and his father, Robert Simons, age 48, on Old Way Rd. in London.
The search led to the seizure of:
- 2 of the firearms stolen in Knox County
- The discovery of methamphetamine
- Morphine tablets
- A methamphetamine lab
- A DMT lab
Robert Wayne Simons, age 48, of London, KY was arrested and charged with:
- Trafficking in Controlled Substance-1st Degree
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
This individual was lodged in the Laurel County Correctional Center.
Photo of accused attached is courtesy of the Laurel County Correctional Center.
An arrest warrant has been issued on Doug Simons who has not been located at this time.
Knox County Sheriff Mike Smith and Laurel County Sheriff John Root believe that this is the first DMT lab seized in either county.
DMT (N,N-Dimethyltrypatime) is a schedule I hallucinogen that can be clandestinely produced.
Members of the Laurel County Drug Interdiction Task Force assisted in securing the lab when it was discovered.
ECO-techs responded to the scene where they assisted in securing and packaging both the methamphetamine lab and DMT.
Drug Enforcement Administration Chemists from DEA Mid-Atlantic Lab in Maryland also responded to the storage location in London where samples were taken and the lab was properly disposed of.
Federal prosecution is anticipated pending final lab analysis.
There were several large containers of suspected DMT seized during the search. Under federal guidelines the minimum sentence is 15 years for offenders possessing at least 14 grams of DMT
