More than 40 pounds of meth seized in Des Moines after federal search warrants executed

Authorities seized more than 40 pounds of methamphetamine in Des Moines after federal agents executed search warrants last week in central Iowa, court records show.

Six Iowans, including three from Des Moines, were charged Wednesday with intending to sell methamphetamine after agents executed warrants in Oklahoma and Iowa. In total, police in Iowa found more than 47 pounds of meth, at least 14 pounds of marijuana and more than $77,000, according to court documents.

A majority of the meth seized came from the residence of Terry Carl Sapp in the 4600 block of Hubbell Avenue on the far northeast side of Des Moines, authorities said. Agents recovered 25 pounds of meth in a suitcase in the attic of his home, about 13 pounds of meth in the garage and a 9mm handgun, according to a criminal complaint.

At least 2 pounds of marijuana were also found in the attic and $6,000 was recovered from the home. Sapp admitted to possessing the drugs, authorities said.

Officers also searched the home of Nicholas Allen George in the 3200 block of Tiffin Avenue in the city's Highland Park neighborhood. Authorities said they recovered 5 pounds of meth from the home, along with about $6,300. Of the meth seized, 3 ounces were found in a kitchen cupboard and an ounce was discovered in a safe, a Des Moines narcotics investigator said in court records.

George told authorities he was receiving a pound of meth a week for the last three to six months, though he thought 2 pounds of it was "bad" and had not sold it, according to a criminal complaint. The drugs tested positive for meth, police said.

Another residence searched in Des Moines — the home of Jennifer Michelle Jesse in the 1800 block of Dean Avenue in city's Capitol East neighborhood — turned up about 2 ounces of meth in a safe and another ounce in a dresser, authorities said. Jesse also had more than $3,900 on her.

Others charged in Iowa included Timothy Charles McClain, 58, of Promise City; Jeffrey Chaffee, 54, of Carlisle; and Samuel Ivan Lamb, 57, of Lucas.

At Lamb's residence in the 200 block of East Morton Street in Lucas, police recovered about 8 pounds of meth inside a green ammunition case on the floor near Lamb's bed, and another pound of meth was found on the bed, according to a complaint.

About 12 pounds of marijuana was found in the home, 10 of which was in a freezer, authorities said. Police also recovered $50,000 from Lamb's bedroom, according to court documents.

In Promise City, police yielded a large bundle of cash, believed to be hundreds of thousands of dollars, at McClain's home in the 300 block of North Street, court records show. McClain told agents he had $225,000 in the home, though it was not clear if officers found that amount of money.

Agents said they also recovered 93 grams of meth in a bedroom and 103 grams of meth in a bag under the bed, according to a criminal complaint.

More than $11,900 and about 278 grams of meth were found at the home of Chaffee in the 400 block of North 1st Street in Carlisle, authorities said. Chaffee told authorities the money was from selling meth, according to a court documents.

Search warrants were executed in nine locations Wednesday that included a residence in Milo and Oklahoma City, Marc Krickbaum, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, said in a statement.

Officers and agents from numerous agencies, including Des Moines police, Iowa State Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, assisted in executing the warrants.

Previous coverage of meth in Iowa: