PROVO, Utah -- Several people are in jail after an alleged family-run drug business was busted in Provo.
Police said Darwin Goode admitted to narcotics officers that he sold meth, saying he did it in order to provide his grandchildren with clothes, food and shelter.
Narcotics officers said living conditions were deplorable at Goode's Provo Home. They said a total of 12 people, including his grandchildren, were living in the two-bedroom home.
According to officers with the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force, the children ranged in ages 4 to 14, and were exposed to meth and other drug paraphernalia in the home.
Goode, along with his wife and two daughters, were arrested. Three other adults who lived next door were also taken into custody. They face multiple charges including meth possession and child endangerment.
"With methamphetamine there's a lot of paraphernalia that can be easily stepped on, obtained, the exposure risk to children is extremely high," Lt. Phil Murphy said. "So all the things make any adult who has children just cringe thinking that children have to be subjected to something like that."
A family friend said the children were in the care of Child and Family Services, but are now staying with other family members.
Brittney Abbott is a friend of the family. She said Goode would never subject his grandchildren to a dangerous environment.
“They have clothes, food – they have all their toys a tree house in the back their grandpa built,” Abbott said.
The children are now being cared for by other family members. Abbott said the kids are taking the separation hard.
“Those kids, if they had a choice to go anywhere they’d go with grandpa,” Abbott said.
