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Deputies arrest Rowan County man after multi-year drug investigation

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A Rowan County man was arrested Monday after a multi-year investigation into meth manufacturing and trafficking, officials said.

Officials with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said 39-year-old Rodney Neil Hardin, of Rockwell, was taken into custody after a search of his home at 2501 Windswept Way.

Deputies said they were assisted by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Salisbury Police Department in the execution of the search warrant.

Hardin’s arrest is a continuation of an investigation that began in 2014 targeting domestic methamphetamine manufacturing and trafficking, authorities said.

Officials said that this past June, Hardin reported a robbery at his residence, which investigators determined was a drug-related home invasion targeting Hardin.

Authorities said they later learned that Hardin had been the victim of other home invasions that were not reported to police.

Officials said that Hardin was involved in an Oct. 2 police chase on Old Beatty Ford Road, which led to him being charged with felony assault on a law enforcement official with a deadly weapon.  Deputies said they subsequently searched Hardin’s home.

Between the October search of Hardin’s home and the one Tuesday, investigators said they seized 646 grams of methamphetamine, 2.7 grams of cocaine, 0.5 grams of heroin, three handguns and almost $8,000 in cash. As a convicted felon, Hardin is prohibited from having firearms, officials said, and one of the guns found in his house was reported stolen.

During the search Tuesday, investigators said they discovered that Hardin was manufacturing methamphetamine in his home and found items including two one-pot “shake and bake” laboratories and an HCL generator.

Investigators said they also found out that Hardin was responsible for approximately 73 pounds of methamphetamine brought to Rowan County for distribution, mostly from Georgia, and valued at about $730,000.

Officials said Hardin was charged with two counts of trafficking 400 grams or more of methamphetamine, by possession and transportation; one count of trafficking 28 grams or more, but less than 200 grams of methamphetamine by possession; possession of cocaine; possession of heroin; two counts of possession of firearm by felon; one count of possession of a stolen firearm; one count of manufacturing methamphetamine; three counts of maintaining a dwelling for keeping and selling a controlled substance; one count of possession of immediate precursor chemicals; two counts of possess with intent to sell/deliver methamphetamine; and one count of sell/deliver methamphetamine.

According to officials, Hardin has previous felony convictions for common law robbery, larceny from the person, felony possession of cocaine and sell/deliver a Schedule II controlled substance.

Authorities said Hardin is pending charges in Cabarrus County for being a habitual felon and for numerous drug offenses.

His bond was set for $1,000,000, officials said, and the investigation is ongoing.

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