Uneventful Town Home to Industrious Meth Lab

The Villages is a relatively quiet town in the center of Sumter County, about two hours northwest of Orlando. The Villages has a population of approximately 93,000 is typically quiet and peaceful. The reason for this is because the town is for seniors over the age 55. The condos and apartments are all designed for the senior crowd, and the younger ages only visit the residents.

According to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, on February 7, 2013, a 61 year old woman had offered to house a couple, Huot, who was 34 and his 25 year old girlfriend. The couple had been staying with the owner for a week, but unknown to the owner, they had set up a meth lab in her garage.

Lt Bobby Caruthers served a violation of probation to Huot, early on the 7th. The deputies returned a few hours later with a search warrant for meth, and found methamphetamine oil and other chemicals and tools stored in the garage, so the two guests were arrested.

The deputies undoubtedly planned only to serve the violation, but something triggered them to return and it led to evidence that they were cooking meth in the basement and garage. The owner was caught totally unaware. She told officers that Huot had helped her with a flat tire two years ago, and she offered him work around the house after that. She was repaying a kindness from the past.

Today, Huot is not only charged with violation of probation, but also with manufacturing and trafficking meth and possession of drug paraphernalia, and his girlfriend was charged with trafficking meth and drug paraphernalia.

Telltale signs of a Meth Lab:

1. When cooking chemicals, there could be a sweet ether odor, an acrid chemical smell, the smell of ammonia, or the odor of rotten eggs and sulfur.
2. The trash could indicate chemical products and other plastics.
3. “Keep out” and “Beware of Dog” signs around the premises.
4. Boarded windows could mean illegal activities inside.