Man tells deputies: 'I'm cooking meth'

When deputies knocked, Herman Scott Swafford told them what they already smelled. McMinn County Sheriff's Department records show deputies knocked on the door of an outbuilding, suspicious that someone might be making methamphetamine.

A report shows that Deputy Mike Patterson smelled a chemical odor and when he asked Swafford what was going on inside, Swafford said, "You know what's going on, I'm cooking meth."

A search that followed sent him to jail Sunday.

Deputies found a glass bottle with a plastic 20-ounce soda bottle attached to it with red electrical tape and a hot plate with the heat turned on. The report shows ingredients used to make meth were in the bottle and had been cooking about 45 minutes.

Swafford, 51, of Athens, was charged with starting the process of making methamphetamine and a probation violation warrant.

A hazardous materials team was called to dispose of the meth components.

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Information from: The Daily Post-Athenian, http://dpa.xtn.net