Snap 08-07-07

Methamphetamine Awareness and Prevention Project of South Dakota

METH Awareness And Prevention Project of South Dakota

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August 7, 2007

In South Dakota - A 27-year-old construction worker was arrested on the job, where he was on a crew helping build a new gym at a high school. Police had allegedly been watching the suspect for a while, concerned he might be dealing drugs. The assistant principal at the school called officers when he saw the suspect’s car in the parking lot. A drug dog alerted officers to the presence of drugs in the vehicle, and a search turned up a pound and a-half of pot and a half-pound of Meth. He faces several charges, including violation of a drug-free zone. If he's convicted of all the charges against him, the suspect could face up to 45 years in prison. Information from KELO-TV News and KSFY-TV News

In Indiana – After a yearlong investigation, police busted up a Meth lab and a property used to store stolen vehicles. Investigators raided a home owned by a 36-year-old man and found three stolen trucks, a motorcycle, an active Meth lab, marijuana plants and more. Ten people were arrested on charges ranging from resisting law enforcement to manufacturing Meth.

In Missouri - A 23-year-old man accused of driving a vehicle into a convenience store now faces a federal drug charge of possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of Meth. The charge stemmed from an incident when several police cars surrounded the suspect’s car outside the store, in an attempt to pick him up on warrants for parole violation and assault. He reportedly placed his car in reverse and struck a patrol car and an officer in the leg. The officer was not seriously injured. The suspect then allegedly drove forward and crashed into a store wall. An officer used a Taser on the man when he allegedly struggled with officers. Officers discovered several bags containing Meth and cocaine, plus three handguns and ammunition in the suspect’s car.

In Florida – Two people were arrested when sheriff's deputies and hazardous materials officers found a Meth lab in the couple's trailer home. The 48-year-old woman and the 40-year-old man face charges of Meth trafficking and manufacturing, and possession of listed chemicals.

In Ohio – Police following up a tip about possible Meth activity discovered an active Meth lab inside a home. Two people in the home were arrested, but officers say the homeowner wasn’t aware of the lab and was not arrested. One officer was treated for heat exposure during the investigation, but was expected to fully recover.

In Mississippi - An anonymous tip led officers to a small Meth lab dumpsite behind a retail store. Agents searched by plane and on foot until they discovered the chemical waste. Some of the items found were empty Red Devil lye containers, stripped out batteries, used-up generators, coffee filters, tubing, and rubber gloves. No arrests have been made in connection to the dumpsite.

In Washington - A 36-year-old man caught last year with 166 grams of pure Meth was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison plus five years of court supervision. The defendant pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of Meth. He was arrested in 2006 when a State Patrol auto theft team served a search warrant, looking for stolen motorcycles and altered vehicle ID numbers. When the officers got in the house, they immediately saw quantities of what appeared to be Meth sitting out in the open, along with digital scales and plastic baggies in the kitchen. The man admitted he had bought the Meth and was cutting it for sales in smaller amounts.

In Texas - A 34-year-old man already serving a sentence for a drug crime had 30 years tacked onto his prison time after being convicted of using his position in a prison library to smuggle Meth into the joint. A federal jury convicted him on one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute Meth and one count of attempting to possess contraband in prison. Between the latest sentence and his earlier ones, his total term of imprisonment is 48 years, of which he has served approximately 10. His 42-year-old girlfriend, charged as a co-conspirator in the smuggling case, was convicted on one count of attempting to provide contraband in prison and was sentenced to five years in prison.

In Ohio – A 47-year-old man and his 25-year-old son, along with a third man, 45-years-old, were arrested after an anonymous tip led police to the discovery of a working Meth lab in a home next to an elementary school. Neighbors had called police complaining of a strong chemical odor coming from the home, and the responding officers realized a Meth lab was present. The officers were able to bypass the suspects' security, and when they entered the home they found the Meth lab in production. They seized the chemicals and equipment, a Walther 32-caliber pistol, anhydrous ammonia containers, and a substantial quantity of finished crystal Meth. A family, including a small infant, in the neighboring housing unit was evacuated. The three men have been charged with manufacturing Meth, child endangering, and for manufacturing drugs in an area neighboring a school.

In Illinois – Law enforcement in one town had a busy stretch of Meth busts. When officers pulled over a car, they discovered the driver, a 27-year-old woman, had no driver's license and no insurance card, and her passenger – a 24-year-old man - was wanted on a warrant. When the man got out of the car, police allegedly could smell the odor of Meth manufacturing products on him, and they found four small bags of white powder and four pipes with suspected Meth residue. A search of the car turned up number of items associated with Meth manufacturing. Both suspects face numerous charges, including Meth possession and manufacturing. Shortly after that investigation, officers responded to a call reporting a stabbing in an apartment building. The victim had been stabbed in the chest and taken to a hospital. The stabbing apparently followed an argument. Police found the stabbing suspect outside and arrested him. The 29-year-old man refused officers request to search his apartment, so they got a search warrant. When they went into the apartment, officers allegedly discovered several Meth manufacturing items. A third person was arrested on charges of aggravated participation in Meth production and Meth possession. Then, police responding to a reported burglary at another location noticed the strong odor associated with the manufacture of Meth and burn marks on the carpet. The State Police Meth response team allegedly recovered two large bags containing Meth making materials from the home. Two women, both 28-years-old, told investigators they had seen a person cooking and using Meth, and four children in the house since the Meth cooking began. Both women eventually said they gave the unnamed Meth cook cold medicine pills in exchange for Meth. They were both charged with aggravated participation in Meth manufacturing.

In Alabama - Police found 108-grams of Meth ice inside a 35-year-old man’s home after a month-long undercover operation. The suspect is charged with trafficking and possession.

In Oregon – Two men, 44- and 40-years old, were arrested after a traffic stop. A search turned up some Meth both in the car and in both men’s possession. Officers then got a search warrant for a home. In all, police seized 31.5-grams of Meth and items associated with Meth manufacturing and delivery. The men were charged with manufacture, delivery, and possession of Meth.

In Tennessee - An anonymous tip led to the discovery of a Meth lab. Police found the lab at a home and questioned at least two people, but so far no charges have been filed.