An explosion and fire tore through a home on Cove Creek Drive in North Wilkesboro on Monday, and when firefighters and state agents moved in, they found far more than fire damage. Hidden at the property was an active 200-gallon illegal distillery that investigators say had been quietly producing moonshine in the North Carolina mountains.
N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement agents determined that the explosion was related to illegal moonshine manufacturing, according to the Charlotte Observer. Once agents got onto the property, they seized approximately 1,800 gallons of mash and 161 gallons of non-taxpaid liquor, the outlet reported; the still had a 200-gallon capacity. WSOC-TV also reported on the blast, noting it exposed an illegal moonshine business operating in the mountains around North Wilkesboro.
69-Year-Old Resident Now Facing Charges
Billy Ray Anderson, 69, lives at the site of the explosion and has been charged in connection with the operation, per the Charlotte Observer's account of the charges, which include manufacturing, possessing, and allowing his property to be used for the manufacture of non-taxpaid alcoholic beverages. Court records indicate Anderson is scheduled to appear before a judge in January, according to WXII 12, though a specific date for that hearing was not available.
North Carolina law makes clear how seriously the state treats unlicensed distilling. Under General Statute § 18B-307, it is unlawful for anyone, except as authorized under the alcohol beverage control chapter, to sell or possess equipment or ingredients intended for use in manufacturing alcoholic beverages outside the permitted system. A related provision, G.S. § 18B-102, broadly prohibits unauthorized manufacture and sale of alcohol in the state.
Part of a Statewide Pattern of Illegal Stills
The Cove Creek Drive bust fits into a broader enforcement push by state alcohol regulators. Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30 of this year, ALE investigated 85 operations tied to either unpermitted alcohol service or illegal stills, the Charlotte Observer's report noted, citing the agency's own tally. The North Wilkesboro case occurred after that count ended, when a fire call turned into a full-scale distillery seizure.
Earlier in the year, in April, ALE agents worked alongside the Greensboro Police Department to execute four search warrants as part of a long-term investigation into illegal alcohol and drug activity, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety. Illegal stills have surfaced in North Carolina enforcement actions for years; a 2021 case saw ALE and the Robeson County Sheriff's Office take down a separate moonshine operation, as reported by WCTI 12, and a 2022 statewide alcohol crackdown that led to more than 250 arrests also included an illegal-distillery bust, according to CBS 17.
For now, the full scope of the North Wilkesboro case remains unclear. Investigators have not detailed how long the Cove Creek Drive still had been running or who, if anyone, purchased the moonshine it produced. Anderson's January court date stands as the next confirmed step in a case that started with an exploding propane tank and ended with agents seizing approximately 1,800 gallons of mash.
