3 Lexington County Residents Charged with Manufacturing Meth

Three Lexington County residents are in jail after officers seized a meth lab Tuesday at a West Columbia home, according to the Lexington County Sheriff's Department.

Jerald David Chase, 40, of West Columbia, Jimmy Leon Marsh, III, 27, of Lexington and Betty Alice Nix, 32, of West Columbia are charged with manufacturing meth and possessing meth with intent to distribute.

Officers with the Narcotics Enforcement Team received a tip that a meth lab was being operated at Nix's house at 166 Norman Drive, Unit B, according to the sheriff's department. When they went to her house around 5:20 p.m., they smelled a strong chemical odor.

After searching the house, officers found a glass mason jar in a bedroom that contained a white residue and a cloudy liquid, according to the sheriff's department. They also found a reaction vessel used to manufacture meth on the floor in front of a bathroom door. 

Chase, Marsh and Nix are being held at the Lexington County Detention Center awaiting bond hearings.

Anyone with information about illegal drug activity in Lexington County should call the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department at 803-785-8230 or Crimestoppers at 1-888- CRIME-SC.