Source: Former NASCAR driver took meth 500 times

Details continue to emerge following Tuesday’s arrest of former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield on charges of felony possession of methamphetamine.

The arrest came after a confidential informant told law enforcement that Mayfield and four other men broke into several businesses in Catawba, Lincoln and Iredell counties in the late winter of 2010 and early 2011.

Sgt. Aaron Turk of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office got a warrant to search Mayfield’s 388-acre compound to confirm the source’s claims that Jeremy Mayfield and four other men would go to businesses and steal scrap metal to sell at scrap yards.

Asked why Mayfield, a former professional race car driver, would commit these types of thefts, the source told investigators that, “Mayfield is a consistent user of methamphetamine and often consumes up to an ounce a day of the substance. The source alleges to have personally witnessed Mayfield purchase and consume methamphetamine over 500 separate times,” according to court documents.

Jeremy Allen Mayfield, 42, and his wife Shana Sessions Mayfield, 34, own the property outside of Catawba. The search warrant was issued Monday and searches continued until Thursday. Officers focused their efforts on the two houses and three work buildings on the Mayfields’ land. They also searched trailers thought to contain stolen goods.

Officers seized more than $150,000 in stolen goods, along with 78 guns.

“We’re going to run the serial numbers on the guns to make sure they’re not stolen,” Catawba County Sheriff Coy Reid said.

Officers also found 1.5 grams of methamphetamine inside a safe in Mayfield’s home, said Capt. Joel Fish of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office.

Mayfield, was charged with one count of felony possession of methamphetamine. He was released on a $3,000 unsecured bond.

No one has been charged in the break-ins.

The investigation is ongoing. Additional arrests and charges are expected. Mayfield’s next court date is scheduled for Nov. 14.

Mayfield is no stranger to trouble. In May 2009, NASCAR suspended the driver, saying he tested positive for methamphetamine. Mayfield denied using the drug and claimed that the results were the result of the attention-deficit disorder drug Adderall and the allergy drug Claritin-D.

THE ALLEGATIONS:

The unnamed source filled investigators in on break-ins at five businesses:

Fitz Motorsports

The source told investigators that the five suspects went to Fitz Motorsports in Mooresville three times to steal scrap metal. They entered through an unlocked door and stole things like a pair of 10-foot by 20-foot racing plates that they loaded onto Mayfield’s rollback wrecker.

The plates were too wide to fit through the door they used to make their getaway, so the suspects knocked holes in the side of the building, according to court documents.

The five suspects are also accused of stealing cases of motor oil and other vehicle fluids. The source said they sold the plates and stored the fluid on Mayfield’s property, according to court documents.

Red Bull Racing

The five suspects are accused of going to Red Bull Racing in Mooresville where they broke into five trailers along the fence line in Red Bull’s parking lot.

Sound equipment, 40 sections of aluminum flooring and Red Bull Racing apparel were stolen.

The suspects are accused of selling the flooring and storing the sound equipment and racing apparel on Mayfield’s property.

LeeBoy

The five suspects are accused of stealing plate steel, gears, nuts, bolts, metal, copper fittings, and welding leads from LeeBoy, a Denver company specializing in heavy equipment manufacturing.

They are accused of selling some of the metal. They allegedly stored the rest – including a steel plate with the name “LeeBoy” printed on it – on Mayfield’s property

Larry Grant and Company

The five suspects are accused of stealing a “large amount of wiring and some semi truck parts,” from Larry Grant and Company – a Lincolnton business specializing in surplus merchandise from retail stores.

Dwain’s Industrial Scrap Metal Inc.

The five suspects are accused of stealing about 500 pounds of copper from Dwain’s Industrial Scrap Metal Inc. of Denver then selling it to scrap metal dealer Omni Source.

WHAT OFFICERS SEIZED:

Investigators found and seized nine clear plastic bags containing a “clear crystal substance” believed to be 1.5 grams of methamphetamine. Empty Ziploc bags, one blue light and $2,084 in cash were also found and seized. Officers also took a “meth pipe,” a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and two butane lighters from a trailer beside the Mayfield residence. A lock pick set was found and seized in Mayfield’s garage, according to court documents.

Sixty-seven assorted documents were seized from Mayfield’s property. They included documents from banks, attorneys, Mayfield Motorsports and a notebook with “Scarpe Metal Book” written on the cover.

Investigators also seized two boxes containing receipts for copper wire sales.

The following weapons were seized from Mayfield’s garage on Thursday at about 8:30 a.m.:

Marlin lever-action rifle

Two SKS rifles

Black powder rifle

Two Browning 12 gauge shotguns

Remington rifle with scope

The following weapons were seized from Mayfield’s house at about 3:15 p.m.:

Bolt-action rifle

Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun

Winchester .357 lever-action rifle

Gardone rifle with bayonet

Remington 20-gauge shotgun

Winchester 12-gauge shotgun

Antique black powder rifle

Remington .22 rifle

Amantino 16-gauge shotgun

Stevens .22 pump rifle

Group Industries 9mm, 45 ACP, .22 Uzi-style submachine gun

Marlin .22 rifle

Zastava 7.62 x 39mm rifle

Taurus Judge revolver

Ruger Redhawk .44 magnum revolver

Lever-action .45 rifle

Ben Duncan .338 rifle with scope

Smith and Wesson revolver

Harrington and Richardson 12 gauge shotgun

Bolt-action rifle

Remington .30-06 bolt-action rifle

Remington 12-gauge shotgun

Hunter Arms double-barrel shotgun

Victor Collette double-barrel shotgun

Eclipse Company double-barrel shotgun

Remington 12-gauge shotgun

Colt AR-15 .223 rifle

Heckler and Koch 9mm pistol

Interarms .357 lever-action rifle

J.C. Higgins .22 rifle

Marlin .22 rifle

Iver Johnson double-barrel shotgun

Lasserre S.A. Avellaneda Super Comanche .45 / .410 pistol

Harrington and Richardson pistol

SKS 7.62 x 39 mm rifle

Taurus .357 single-action revolver

Ruger Vaquero .45 revolver

Lorcin 9mm pistol

Hi Point .380 pistol

Valley Arms .50 black powder rifle

Winchester .270 rifle with scope

E.R. Amantino .410 double barrel shotgun

Ruger .22 rifle with scope

Mosberg .410 shotgun

Stevens .22 rifle

Marlin .22 rifle

Falco .410 shotgun

Revelation .22 rifle

Marlin .30-30 lever-action rifle

Circuit Judge .45 / 410 rifle

Winchester .410 shotgun

Winchester 30-30 lever-action rifle

Marlin .357 lever-action rifle

Remington .22 rifle

Remington .22 rifle with scope

Remington .22 rifle

Remington .22 rifle

Remington .22 rifle

Remington .22 rifle

Remington .22 rifle

Remington .22 rifle

Remington .22 lever-action rifle

Remington .22 rifle

Remington .22 bolt-action rifle

Remington .22 rifle

Remington .22 rifle

SKS 7.62 x 39 mm rifle

Marlin .35 lever-action rifle

Browning 12-gauge shotgun

Remington rifle with scope

Traditions Hawken Woodsman .50 cal. rifl

More than $115,000 worth of items, believed to have been stolen – much of it to be sold as scrap, was seized from the Mayfield property.