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.

August 17, 2007

In Iowa - Three people, 48-, 46- and 39-years old, pled guilty to conspiracy to manufacture Meth; one also pled guilty to one count of using a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.  The three were accused of working with others to get Meth making ingredients from around the region, including Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota.  The conspiracy was allegedly supplied with more than a million pseudoephedrine pills. They then reportedly made Meth and sold it to an unknown number of dealers.  One defendant provided a single customer with more than three-pounds of high-quality Meth while still providing to a steady stream of other customers.

In Washington - A seven-month undercover sting called "Operation Crystal Blue Persuasion," a cooperative effort between local and state police along with the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration, netted drugs, weapons and a major cache of stolen property.  Officers found handguns, assault rifles, plasma TVs, computers, laptops, luxury cars, even a thermal imaging unit.  Police also seized a half-million dollars in cash and $1-million in drugs, much of it Meth. 80-suspects have been arrested – a little less than half the law enforcement’s goal.  They are accused of a range of crimes including identity theft, auto theft, burglary and drug trafficking. Some suspects face federal prison time. 

In Kansas – When the DEA and local police raided a man’s home, they didn't find an active Meth lab but they found plenty of chemicals and equipment for one.  The suspect was arrested; he had not been formally charged.  He admitted to purchasing purchased 4,000 to 5,000 chemical and lab-type glassware products over the past six months, some from overseas and mostly online.  He explained the presence of the various glassware products, saying he mainly buys antique items and re-sells them for a profit.  He said he had the excessive amount of chemicals on hand for his garden.  Officials, though, say that a Meth lab doesn’t have to be in production in order for charges to be filed, and that the chemicals found at the suspect’s residence are more than what would be stored in someone's home. 

In New Mexico - Three people were arrested after a traffic stop led to the discovery of a mobile Meth lab.  An officer noticed a car with an expired license plate and pulled it over.  Suspicious behavior, evasive answers and other signs led the officer to question the two women, 44- and 25-years-old, and the 28-year-old man.  Eventually, the officer ordered a tow for the car because the driver did not have a valid registration or insurance.  A preliminary inventory of the car started revealing Meth lab components, including a large propane bottle, a small electric grinder with a white residue and several bottles of chemicals used in Meth manufacturing.  The officer stopped the inventory and asked if they were running a mobile Meth lab, one woman confessed they were.  The various evidence tested positive for Meth.  The three suspects each faces charges of trafficking of Meth and possession of drug paraphernalia.

In Washington - A seven-month undercover sting called "Operation Crystal Blue Persuasion," a cooperative effort between local and state police along with the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration, netted drugs, weapons and a major cache of stolen property.  The extensive investigation into burglaries, drug sales, and identity and car theft has so far resulted in more than 100-arrests since January, with more expected over the coming weeks.  Officers have seized almost a million-dollars worth of drugs, 18 vehicles and 26 weapons – including Japanese swords - as well as night-vision goggles, flat-screen televisions, computers and even a bulletproof vest. The large undercover operation focused on Meth-fueled crimes.  While the crimes covered a wide range, officials found that the most prolific burglars, car thieves, vehicle prowlers and identity thieves were tied to Meth.  So far, 13-people have been indicted federally and 123 charged locally.  More than 90 suspects are being held on investigation of drug-related offenses. 

In Michigan - Police following up on a tip discovered remnants of a Meth lab, along with finished Meth and marijuana at a home.  Two people were named as suspects in the case and police plan to file charges against them.  Officers also found a 16-year-old living in the house.

In Missouri – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upheld the conviction and death sentence of a Meth dealer who was convicted of murdering a fellow Meth dealer in 1995.  The victim was shot twice in the back and then in the face with a shotgun.  The defendant is also under two additional death sentences for killing two other people who he believed were informants.  He received death sentences for all three murders. The decision by the three-judge panel of the Eighth Circuit was unanimous.

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