MAPP-SD, a project of Prairie View Prevention Services, Inc., is a comprehensive Methamphetamine awareness and prevention project. 
MAPP-SD is dedicated to:
u   Increase awareness of Meth and the problems associated with its use, manufacture and distribution;
u Provide, at no cost, professional Meth awareness and prevention education to groups and organizations on a community, regional and statewide level;
u Be a no-cost, ongoing resource for South Dakota citizens to deal with issues rising from the manufacture, use and distribution of Meth.

November 8 - 13 Snapshot

November 8

In Arkansas - Drug-crime deputies of the Benton County Sheriff's Office ended a five-month investigation Friday by arresting three people on charges of possessing 3/4 pound of methamphetamine. In addition to the meth, deputies seized $2,300 in cash, drug paraphernalia and a 9mm handgun.

In Minnesota – After arresting one Meth suspect who turned informant, Duluth police arranged a delivery of a 3-pound shipment of methamphetamine by two Mexican nationals to a motel parking lot near Interstate 35.  The informant had seen to it that at least 50 pounds of Meth found its way into Duluth since July. When police recovered the shipment -- believed to be the largest ever seized in the region - it was wrapped in motor oil-soaked rags, electrical tape and Ziploc bags and hidden in a secret compartment in a car-door panel to thwart drug-sniffing dogs.  Local, state and federal law officers eventually arrested nine people.  The bust, dubbed "Operation Taconite," is credited with derailing a Meth import operation that pumped about $1 million of the drug into the area every month.

In Alabama - Kids to Love Foundation, sponsored by a local television station, launched a statewide methamphetamine tip line.  According to a press release, in 48 hours, the call center received 25 tips. Twenty of the 25 reported children in situations involving dangerous Meth labs.

In Alabama - An early morning traffic stop led to the arrest of three people and the discovery of a Meth lab.

In Ohio – Police in Harrison arrested three men after materials used to create Meth were discovered in a parking lot of a Walgreens drug store.  The store and a nearby school were locked down. Police said the incident started when a blue 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer started smoking.  A passerby called fire crews, and when the crews arrived, they quickly determined that the car was leaking ammonia from a propane tank.  Police have arrested two men – who are brothers.  A third man was arrested a nearby motel. All three suspects are from Tennessee. Each has been charged with possession of chemicals for the creation of methamphetamine and inducing panic.

In Michigan - Six people were arrested and three Meth labs shut down as a result of a cooperative task force consisting of more than 35 law enforcement officers in Cadillac, MI.  Arrest warrants are being sought for an additional 10 suspects.

In Michigan - Authorities in Coldwater, Michigan are searching for a man suspected of running a Meth lab at a nursing home in which he worked. The suspect worked at the skilled nursing and rehabilitation center for senior citizens. When deputies went to the nursing home to question the suspect, they found part of a Meth lab in a storage facility. Police believe the man was manufacturing Meth at his home and at his workplace.  Five children were taken into protective custody from the suspect's home.

November 9

In California - - A kindergarten teacher in Winchester, Calif. was pulled from her class and arrested for investigation of being under the influence of Meth while teaching.  The 47-year old was teaching when other teachers noticed she was acting strangely.  She did not seem to notice that her nose was bleeding.  A school resource officer evaluated her and then called the sheriff's department. Officers restrained her when she tried to walk away from them while they questioned her.

In Ohio - A fourth person was charged in connection with a possible rolling Meth lab.  The woman is charged with inducing panic, possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, falsification and obstructing justice. Police say she called 911 and claimed she was abducted and raped.

In West Virginia- Two Florida men are behind bars for having 4-1/2 pounds of Meth, an assault rifle and a handgun.  Police caught the men in a motel room in the Canaan Valley area of Randolph County. They say the large amount of Meth carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10-years in prison if convicted.

In Texas - Multiple Meth labs were raided in central Texas.  Nearly 500 grams of Meth oil was found, along with four pounds of refined crystal Meth.  Only one arrest had been made in connection with the drug raids.  Police fear other suspects, Mexican nationals, have probably already left the country and may never be caught

November 10

In Wisconsin - A Superior, WI man is accused of providing Meth to two minors, including a pregnant 17-year-old girl who lost her baby after taking the drug.  The 45-year old faces five felony charges and one misdemeanor charge. The felonies include delivery of methamphetamine to minors, physical abuse of a child, first-degree reckless injury and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child.  The 17-year-old girl, who was the suspect’s stepdaughter for about three years and looked up to him as a father figure, smoked Meth with the man as many as 50 times since December 2003 and continued until last week, when she was nearly five months pregnant. The girl's water broke during that episode and she was taken to the hospital. She suffered medical complications that resulted in the termination of her pregnancy.
The other minor is 16 and the daughter of the suspect. She told investigators she smoked Meth with the man a couple of times.  During a candid interview with detectives, the suspect said he sat his 16-year-old daughter down after discovering her drug use and told her he would try Meth with her to see what the big deal was.

In Ohio - Three people were arrested after they were caught allegedly trying to find ingredients for a drug-making operation.  Police in Trotwood said the suspects were looking for cold medicines, specifically the type need to make methamphetamine.   The shopping spree took two women and one man from Wal-Mart to Kmart to Target and then to Cub Foods.  A store security officer called police after the group raised his suspicion. Police said the three were trying to buy over-the-counter cold medicines, way more than they need for personal use.  Officers pulled the group over and found Meth inside the car.  The three allegedly drove from Indiana to get more of the cold medicines that are the main ingredient in manufacturing Meth.   They were arrested for possession of drugs; it is likely that the three may also be charged with manufacturing methamphetamine.

November 11
In New Zealand - In the city of Auckland, police responding to a domestic call found the remnants of what appears to be a Meth lab.  A police spokesman says officers were called to a domestic incident at the property when they found what appeared to be the remains of a clandestine lab. They are testing the residue to see if the house needs to be cleaned meticulously to remove any chemicals.

November 12
In North Dakota - Two years after saving two toddlers from a burning mobile home, a 35-year old Fargo man is facing a lengthy prison term on drug charges.  He pled guilty to a conspiracy charge for selling Meth, cocaine and marijuana. He faces 20 years to life in prison when he is sentenced in U.S. District Court on Jan. 6.  On September 4, 2003, the suspect noticed a fire at a neighbor's home while walking to his pickup truck for work. He broke down the door of the home and helped rescue two boys, ages 2 and 3. The children's parents also escaped the blaze.

In Alaska - Kenai police and Alaska State Troopers are investigating a methamphetamine lab discovered in Kenai. The lab is one of a handful discovered in the city this year. According to an administrative clerk with the Alaska Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Enforcement, state troopers busted eight Meth labs in the area in 2004 and nine in 2003.

In Colorado - A Fort Morgan city councilman was arrested on charges of making and selling drugs after police raided a suspected Meth lab at his home.  The 35-year old was being held without bail on charges of manufacture, possession, sale and distribution of drugs, possession of materials to make methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Fort Morgan, a town of about 11,000 people, is 70 miles northeast of Denver.

In Texas -  A Crowley man was arrested on a charge of possession of a controlled substance and booked into the Crowley jail after police officers reportedly found methamphetamine in his wallet.  The case began with a traffic stop.  The 27-year old driver was arrested after officers reportedly discovered less than an ounce of marijuana, an ink pen cut at an angle with white residue inside, and a plastic bag containing a white crystal substance in his wallet that later tested positive for methamphetamine. Officers also said they found a glass speed pipe and rolling papers in his pocket.  He was not charged with possession of marijuana or paraphernalia, but with 1.5 grams of methamphetamine.

November 13
In Virginia - Newport News Police busted a potential Meth lab in the making, arrested two people and found a child inside the trailer home.  Investigators said they found the combustible ingredients used to make Meth, and they also found a child inside.  A neighbor of the arrested couple said, "A detective told us if they had made a mistake in cooking up the stuff it could be taken out 45 trailers. That's practically the whole trailer park."

In North Carolina - After a two-week investigation, three people were arrested for trafficking crystal Meth. Undercover officers with the Mount Holly and Gastonia Police Departments say they seized more than three pounds of Meth, money and two vehicles from the Holiday Inn Express in Mount Holly, where the three were arrested.  The 3 pounds of crystal Meth seized could be worth $300,000 on the streets.

 

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