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Report: Police Uncover Illegal Sewage Plant Winery

Courtesy DeKalb County Sheriffs Office

Adam Barnes General Assignment Reporter
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Sheriff’s officials said in a statement Thursday they busted an illegal winery operating out of a wastewater treatment facility in an Alabama town.

The Dekalb County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office said in a statement it received a tip Thursday about the illegal winery at a municipal building in Rainsville. During a search, investigators found a stash of illegal alcohol and a winery. The winery seemed to have been in operation for a long time, the statement said. (RELATED: New York Couple Finds Stash Of Prohibition-Era Whiskey Hidden In The Walls Of Their Home)

Rainsville Mayor Roger Lingerfelt said at a press conference that a supervisor had been suspended pending an investigation, AL.com reported. Lingerfelt did not identify the person but said the employee has worked at the facility for nearly 15 years and is on leave without pay, according to AL.com.

 

 

“I want to thank the mayor for his cooperation and willingness to allow law enforcement to do our job and shut something like this down,” DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said in a statement. “This is definitely one of the biggest operations we’ve seen in our county and possibly our state. A big thanks to the public and their tips against ALL illegal activities.”

“Once again, it doesn’t matter who you are, no one is above the law. We won’t tolerate anyone using their position to hide their illegal actions at the taxpayer’s expense,” Welden concluded.

The incident is still under investigation and the sheriff’s office will file charges, according to the statement.