KINGFIELD – Five people have been arrested in connection to manufacturing methamphetamine in a laboratory at a mobile home at 8 Winter Hill Road that was destroyed by fire on Feb. 8.

All five are accused of making the drug in a so-called “one-pot” lab or “Shake’N Bake” lab, Maine Drug Enforcement Supervisor Special Agent Matt Cashman said Monday.

They are both “highly volatile methods of manufacturing meth,” he said.

The unstable mixture of chemicals has potential for explosion and fire, he said.

“It appears the fire is a result of manufacturing of methamphetamine,” Cashman said.

MDEA Agent Brian Ross arrested Charity Christopher, 31, West Farmington, on a felony charge of unlawful trafficking in schedule drugs, which covers the manufacturing process, and violation condition of release, Cashman said.

Christopher entered into a two-year deferred disposition in June 2010 in connection to another meth manufacturing lab process in 2009 in New Vineyard. It deferred a felony charge of unlawful trafficking of illegal drugs in her involvement. Justice Michaela Murphy told Christopher at the time that she would have the opportunity to have the felony charge reduced to a misdemeanor felony if all went well over those two years.

Also arrested Friday in relation to the Kingfield case are Isaac Moody, 24, of West Farmington on a felony charge of unlawful trafficking in schedule drugs and trafficking in prison contraband.

Joshua Bartlett, 25, of New Portland, and David Coffren, 31, of Kingfield, were each arrested on charges of arson and unlawful trafficking in schedule drugs.

Coffren, who was the resident of the mobile home, faces an additional charge of endangering the welfare of a child because his 4-year-old child was present during the manufacturing process, Cashman said.

Seth Hinkley, 25, of Strong, was arrested on March 13, on a probation violation after investigators found a firearm during a search of a residence in that town in connection to the meth lab and fire, Cashman said. He was charged on Friday on a charge of unlawful trafficking in schedule drugs, he said. He was also charged on an arson charge, Fire Marshal Sgt. Ken Grimes said.

Coffren is not the owner of the home, he said. More information will be available in Tuesday’s Sun Journal.

The MDEA and investigators from the Maine Office of the State Fire Marshal conducted investigations in the case.

“The investigation continues with more arrests possible,” Cashman said.

NOTE: Wording in one of the sentences above was changed to reflect the correct meaning. It was incorrectly reported by the Sun Journal.

dperry@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link