Deputies bust still operation

By Staff
Melissa Cason
Franklin County Times
Officials with the Franklin County Sheriff's Department confiscated a working moonshine still Wednesday afternoon.
Franklin County Sheriff Larry Plott said Cecil Grant Nesmith, 53, of 1485 Pricebridge Road in Hackleburg, was arrested and charged with possession of a still.
Plott said that investigators received an anonymous tip about a moonshine still located at Nesmith's address, which is located just off County Road 8 in Franklin County.
"We found corn and other ingredients in the still," Plott said. "There was also some finished product in the still when we found it."
Investigators were assisted by authorities from the Alabama Beverage Control Board and the Franklin County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Alabama Criminal Code, possession of a still is a Class C felony, which is punishable by one year and one day to 10 years in prison upon conviction.
Home brewed moonshine, when distilled improperly, can cause blood poisoning. Also, still explosions can prove lethal.
Nesmith was released on $2,500 bond.