Hambden Township man charged with making meth

Geauga County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a Hambden Township man after allegedly finding a methamphetamine lab in his home.

At about 8:25 p.m. Tuesday, a deputy sheriff saw a car driving with a headlight out on Chardon-Windsor Road. Upon pulling the car over, he observed items consistent with manufacturing meth, including multiple boxes of pseudoephedrine cold medicine on the back seat, said Geauga County Sheriff Daniel McClelland.

The lone occupant of the vehicle, 36-year-old Peter M. Mancuso Jr., had been under investigation by deputy sheriffs for possible meth manufacturing for about two months. He was detained based on the items in his vehicle and a search warrant was executed for his home on Holi Dale Drive, McClelland said.

Upon entering the home, deputies allegedly discovered about 20 “one-pot” meth labs in a bedroom. Six other people, including a 3-year-old girl, found in the residence are not believed to have been involved in the activity, he said.  “The room was locked from the inside,” McClelland said. “He (Mancuso) would come and go through the window.”

Mancuso appeared Wednesday in Chardon Municipal Court and was charged with first-degree felony illegal manufacturing of methamphetamine. Bond was set at 10 percent of $20,000, but Mancuso violated parole from a previous offense so he is still in custody, the sheriff said.A preliminary hearing has been set for Wednesday.

The Lake County Narcotics Agency assisted in the cleanup of the Hambden home.