Western Lab
The Western Lab is supervised by Special Agent in Charge Joseph D. Reavis.
The Western Regional Laboratory, located in Asheville, NC, is the only satellite laboratory in the state system. The Western Laboratory serves 30 western counties in latent fingerprint analysis, drug analysis, and response to clandestine laboratory team calls. The Western Regional Lab is directed by Special Agent in-Charge Joseph D. Reavis.
The Latent Evidence Section is capable of the sophisticated development and analysis of Latent Fingerprint images. The section uses both traditional methods and state of the art electronic equipment to process evidence. The AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) remains a major forensic tool used to identify individuals in various types of cases. Image enhancement technology allows examiners to observe difficult images, where analysis may have been impossible in the past.
The Drug Chemistry Section is a modern forensic drug analysis facility. The submissions follow the national trend in that cocaine base (crack) and marijuana make up most of the drug submissions, with a wide variety of other drugs making up the remainder. Ecstasy (MDMA), methamphetamine, cocaine hydrochloride, and LSD on candy are all popular drugs in the covered region.
The illegal "clandestine" manufacture of methamphetamine has become a growing problem for North Carolina, especially for the western region of the state. Clandestine drug labs are becoming more common due to less complicated methods being made available to the drug manufacturers. What previously demanded some knowledge of chemistry and specialized equipment can now be done using regular household equipment. The Western Lab is projected to respond to hundreds of illegal meth labs in the coming year.