Moonshine Bust

[Godstilla]

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009 ... till/news/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[evilpsych]

Wow!. looks to be a big setup. boiler's gotta be what.. 200gallons+?

[Godstilla]

I believe this article is related to the same bust:
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009 ... -good-way/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow


JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: February 28, 2009

NORTH WILKESBORO
When a production company recently needed film footage to tell the story of Junior Johnson running from revenuers back in the day, former champion driver Dean Combs got behind the wheel of a 1940 Ford and made a bootleg turn for the camera crew.
It was a make-believe re-

enactment of the legendary roots of moonshine and racing.
In real life yesterday, Combs was charged in connection with running a moonshine still that authorities blew up within the shadow of North Wilkesboro Speedway, one of the cradles of NASCAR.
Combs, 57, is a five-time champion of the series that started as the Baby Grand Nationals, a former Winston Cup driver and a former crew chief for a NASCAR team once owned by Johnson. When Johnson drove moonshine, he was considered a master of the bootleg turn in which he would slide his speeding car 180 degrees and then speed off in the opposite direction of his pursuer.
As rain fell yesterday morning, Combs used his cell phone's camera to snap photos of the remains of a moonshine still that lay broken and blown apart on a hill behind his home and just a couple of hundred yards from the speedway that Combs' father had once co-owned.
Combs said he used the still to make cold medicine or brandy.
"I'd drink it for a cold," he said. "It was mostly for cold medicine. There's not been any good apple brandy out here for years. It's better than what you buy at a store."
The Wilkes County Sheriff's Office destroyed the still in two explosions. Residents as far as four miles away reported hearing the loud booms Thursday night.
Authorities seized about 200 gallons of corn liquor, said Shon Tally, an agent with N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement. Twenty-four gallons were in plastic gallon jugs, and the rest was in glass jars. They also seized 3,000 pounds of sugar.
Combs was charged with manufacturing nontax-paid liquor, possessing nontax-paid liquor, possessing ingredients to manufacture nontax-paid liquor and possessing equipment to manufacture nontax-paid liquor.
It has been about a year-and-a-half since authorities found a still in Wilkes County, Tally said. They often make purchases of nontax-paid liquor, he said, "but to actually find a still, they're few and far between."
Authorities acted on a tip.
"He had just finished running that morning," Tally said. "When he was draining the water out of it so we could move it, the steam was rolling off it."
Combs owns a defunct go-cart track near the speedway, and he said that the still was in one of the buildings there. When Tally and other agents came to his door Thursday afternoon, he took them to the still, he said.
"The ALE man he was very nice and very helpful," Combs said.
The still was made of stainless steel, and just the boiler weighed about 1,000 pounds. Agents were trying to figure out how to get it out to destroy it.
"He got his tractor, he pulled it up there for us," Tally said. "That's how accommodating he was. You couldn't ask for a nicer fellow."
Combs said that authorities were complimentary of the quality of his moonshine.
"They even bragged on it, said they'd never seen spring water that clear," he said. "I said, ‘You need to put a label on it and stick it in the store.'"
Combs said that his interest in moonshine reflects part of Wilkes County's heritage.
"It's something I was always interested in," he said. "I wanted to see if I could make something drinkable. I guess I gave someone a quart I shouldn't have."

[BW Redneck]

possessing ingredients to manufacture nontax-paid liquor

Sorry, what now? So it's illegal to have a bunch of sugar around?

I guess that they'll have to arrest all of those bakery owners that buy all their sugar by the pallet, then.

[/sarcasm]

[Ugly]

Sign of the times and computerized processing and handling of bills of sale. I'm planting beets this year.

[zymos]

...but I got me a mighty big sweet tooth occifer...

[evilpsych]

Let's see.....

Guy owns a go-kart track, is known for racing cars, and DIDN"T think to just get a E85 producer/hobbyist permit? Wow. The track was probably even already zoned for this kind of 'hazmat'...

[Tater]

Heres what local paper printed http://www.journalpatriot.com/fullstory.asp?id=1142" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow Large still is destroyed; charges filed
by Jule Hubbard
Charges were filed late this morning in connection with a large liquor still found near the North Wilkesboro Speedway on Speedway Road and blown up by authorities Thursday night.
Carl Dean Combs 57, of Speedway Road, North Wilkesboro, was charged with manufacturing non-tax paid liquor, as well as one count each of possessing, possessing ingredients to manufacture and possessing equipment to manufacture non-tax paid liquor, said N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) Agent Shon Tally.
Tally said Combs was at his nearby residence when he and other ALE agents found the still in the back of a gray shop building behind a go-cart track, near the North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Tally said Combs wasn’t taken into custody when he served the warrants at his residence about 11:30 a.m. today.
He said the still had a capacity of 300 gallons per run, with about 1,150 gallons of corn mash in the “working” stage in preparation for another run in two to three days. Tally said the still was warm from a run of corn liquor on Thursday.
“It was a very professional, clean operation… all stainless steel,” he said, adding that it had a primary condenser and a secondary condenser for efficiency and quality. It also had about 180 feet of copper tubing.
Also seized and being held as evidence by the ALE were 200 gallons of corn liquor and 3,000 pounds of sugar.
Tally said that because the still was too large to haul away, the Wilkes Sheriff’s Department’s “bomb squad” was called to destroy the still. The operation was pulled with a tractor to a point in a field about 200 yards away and destroyed with two explosive charges about 8:30 p.m.
Capt. Doug Cotton of the Wilkes Sheriff’s Department reported that an old abandoned still and three stainless steel barrels were found in another nearby building.
The ALE initiated the investigation after receiving a complaint about liquor being made at the site from an anonymous caller. He said Combs was cooperative.
Five ALE agents and eight to 10 officers from the sheriff’s department were on the scene.
Tally said it was the first ALE liquor still raid in Wilkes since August 2007.

Reins-Sturdivant
© Copyright 2007-2008 Carter-Hubbard Publishing

[smokerscully1]

1000 lbs of Stainless Steel ? And they blew it up ? Did know one think to check the price of scrap?

[new_moonshiner]

thats an awful lot of NyQuil....

[Godstilla]

That is what I was thinking... who the hell could use that much cold medicine?!??!?! lol

[rad14701]

Kinda pushes beyond any "personal use" volumes... I see a lot of reusable materials there...

[Ugly]

The lesson for me is that they target sellers. This should be no surprise whatsoever. I've mentioned before I've had some of the local constabulary milling around while I run both fuel and hooch. No one cares. If I started flogging my product for some reason, I'd be arrested sure as heck. Go straight to jail, do not pass go. I even built a pot still for the (now retired) staff sergeant. As far as I know, he makes rum, I used to see him at the feed store in his cruiser on the way home from work.

[new_moonshiner]

I think anytime you have the equipment to produce more than one average person can consume you have just drawn a bulls'eye on ya A@@ ..and its a matter of time before you get the cross hairs put on ya ..producing large amounts or not youre all ready guilty..

[Husker]

the equipment to produce more than one average person can consume

So ..... just what amount is this?

Sounds like one of those ideas which are in the same category as 'what is pornography'. The simple 'I know it when I see it', is awful hard to justify when observing or enforcing laws. By that observation, anyone running a 20L pot would be able to produce more than an average person could consume. Certainly a keg still owner can outproduce what HE can consume. Does that mean he DOES outproduce his consumption, only the individual can say. I only do a dozen or so keg sized runs a year now. However, I could easily do a couple hundred. Yes, to use a keg still to try to 'make a living' shining, is pretty dumb, but I do not think the law would care much.

As far as the law cares, running a 4L water distiller (or even a tea kettle), and producing booze, is performing an illegal act. Again, it falls down to statutes, and the govt being EXTREMELY greedy when it comes to their cash cow taxable items.

Boils down to distill if you want, BUT keep tight lipped about it. Also, if you distill to sell (or simply to just give away), sooner or later, you most likely will get a visit from someone you will not welcome.

H.

[evilpsych]

Heres what local paper printed http://www.journalpatriot.com/fullstory.asp?id=1142" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Also seized and being held as evidence by the ALE were 200 gallons of corn liquor and 3,000 pounds of sugar.

we're talking tens of gallons of nyquil PER NIGHT at that rate..

[goose eye]

keepin a outfit on blocks year round is gonna get you guilty.
most all folks round here got a jug of apple brandy an a jug of black berry wine for ailments even
tea totallers.
now i aint ever made no likker an aint gonna in the future but sounds like he had a standin order.
i aint sure if any of yall had much dealins with the irs pencil pushers an what mite of beens
an values of such but they aint got a clue of real life an will prove it.

if he nos someone that nos somethin he will find out who turned him in.

so im tole

[bushido]

If you plead not guilty, they must bring forth their witnesses. Every man has the right to face his accusers. You can always change your plea at a later date.
Of course, if you accept a plea bargain, you will never get this option. And of course, you will never get a plea bargain if you go this path.
So I've heard
How much is vengence worth to you?

You can also try going to the court house and telling them you are acting as your own counsel and they must give you their deposition, any information regarding your case. Though most times, witnesses are not in these files at this time. Only worked twice for me this way as I recall. Funny, but their was failure to show on both of these occasions. Now whats the chances of that eh?

[junkyard dawg]

i aint sure if any of yall had much dealins with the irs pencil pushers an what mite of beens
an values of such but they aint got a clue of real life an will prove it.

I couldn't agree more.

that line almost reads like poetry.

[Jocko1960]

I'm sure the IRS will get involved and "estimate" his production and the length of time they think he was producing the product so that they can slap him with back taxes and fines.
I think that will be much worse than what he faces on the illegal manufacturing charge. Though I'm not up on the laws regarding producing untaxed spirits in that area.

[rad14701]

Without swaying too far off-topic, when you view the "Big Picture" shouldn't the government be coming after folks for producing anything that they would normally collect tax for...??? Or do they look the other way when it's only sales tax...??? Homemade furniture is but one example... What's next, home grown vegetables (vegetables aren't taxable here in the US - yet)...???

[Husker]

(vegetables aren't taxable here in the US - yet)...???

They are in many locations, just not 'fed' taxable, and yes, you SHOULD expect the feds to start coming after anything home build/bartered shortly.

The Whiskey Rebellion is a good example of what is coming down the pike for our out of control fed's.

H.

[Tater]

I'm sure the IRS will get involved and "estimate" his production and the length of time they think he was producing the product so that they can slap him with back taxes and fines.
I think that will be much worse than what he faces on the illegal manufacturing charge. Though I'm not up on the laws regarding producing untaxed spirits in that area.

.Most likely if its his first time he will be taxed for whats been made fined/Given 18 months prayer of judgment .

[Mud]

The government approaches taxes as if they are their due. The legislators tend to think if they're not levying a tax they're doing you a favor.

The Pennsylvania Farmland and Forest Land Assessment Act of 1974, usually called the Clean and Green Act, offers about 1/3 reduction in property taxes. One of the trade-offs (among many) is that you must allow public access to your land. It was explained to me at the courthouse that the public (government) wants something for their money. As if they're giving you something by not raping you quite so badly just for possessing land you own.

I digress. Wonder what a set up like that costs, anyway.

-irritated by taxes Mud

[Ayay]

We pay tax collectors to take our money. Won't be long now...kickin down doors to see what they can git. Globalwarmin, conomymeltdown... we are cathching up to the third world because they already know how to survive in these circumstances.

(Folks here seem to be ahead of the game).

[Ugly]

There are lots of countries with no taxes and where you can pretty much do as you please. Of course.. they don't have much in the way of medicine, schools, roads, electricity or those other stupid things.

I don't see many packing up to move.

[blanikdog]

True Ugly. Someone has to pay for these things. Shit, I'm starting to sound like a tory.
blanik

[Mud]

You're right Ugly, someone has to pay for infrastructure. Flat income tax is the answer. The idea that the government can take your home because you can't pay taxes on it shouldn't be acceptable to anyone. It effects the poor and the infirm more than any others. All I'm saying is that there are better ways than property tax.

I'm done with this.

[Ayay]

Blowing up Combs's still is the cost-effective (cheap) way to get publicity and deterrence value.

OK they don't yet kick down doors like third world dictators and warlords. The same results are achieved by sofisticated means. A little spin and dynamite. The doors are only kicked down if you fail to cooperate with polite requests when you know you broke the law.

[Tater]

The case got dismissed . no fine court costs or anything.