By Jessica Langdon/Times Record News
April 30, 2004

Narcotics officers added another $200,000 to their case involving a Wichita Falls convenience store owner, who is accused of stocking and selling ingredients to make methamphetamine.

Officers searched the Krystal Mart at 701 N. Eastside Dr., the man's home at 2900 Kyle Cove and his car earlier this week, police said. They found thousands of pills, plus batteries, rock salt, starter fluid and other meth precursors. They also found $128,000 in cash in the store.

Reza Vafaiyan, 55, was arrested Monday night. He was charged with possession of certain chemicals with intent to manufacture a controlled substance. He was held in the Wichita County Jail Thursday night on $210,000.

Thursday brought a new search - this time, a safety deposit box in Wichita Falls, investigator John Spragins said.

"There was an excess of $200,000 that will be seized as contraband by the Task Force and DPS narcotics," he said. The seizure will be filed through the Wichita County District Attorney's Office.

The probable cause affidavit in this case maps out an incident that stretched far outside the Wichita Falls area. It gave this description:

Investigators from several agencies started surveillance on the suspect. An "extensive investigation" pointed to the man's purchases of pseudoephedrine, a meth precursor contained in some cold medicines. He would then sell the pseudoephedrine and other items "in bulk to known methamphetamine cooks," investigators said.

They claimed Vafaiyan would go to Wichita Falls stores and buy tablets there, and would head to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as well. He bought medicines from various spots there, too, they said.

On April 25, they followed the man and a woman to the Dallas area, where the duo stopped at three stores. They say the couple bought seven boxes of pseudoephedrine between them at one of the stores.

Officers followed the pair to Shreveport, La. The next day, they followed them back to Wichita Falls from Louisiana. The affidavit said they stopped at 11 stores, including Target, Wal-Mart and Office Depot. Officers say they learned the man bought pseudoephedrine from at least two stores.

Investigators followed the man back to his house in Wichita Falls, where they stopped him. A search of his vehicle turned up more than 2,100 pills, cases of starter fluid and packages of lithium batteries - all known ingredients needed to make meth.

DPS narcotics Lt. Allen Navarro said Wednesday officers will do a complete inventory of everything they hauled from the house, car and Krystal Mart.

Crime reporter Jessica Langdon can be reached at (940) 763-7530 or by email at langdonj(at)TimesRecordNews.com.

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