Meth Lab Indictments

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the Warren County Drug Task Force have been involved in a long term investigation of the clandestine manufacturing of methamphetamine. This criminal enterprise first came to the attention of law enforcement in late 2010, and continues to be ongoing today.

On Friday, July 27, 2012, the Warren County Grand Jury indicted ten (10) individuals who were intimately involved in this operation. The initial information of this operation was provided by area pharmacists who were seeing suspicious behavior involving the purchase of pseudoephedrine (PSE), a necessary ingredient in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

Investigators extensively utilized the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx) which was instrumental in the pursuit of this criminal group. Federal and state law allows for any one person to purchase only 9 grams of PSE in a 30 day period. Although an enormous amount of PSE was obtained by this group, a significant amount of sales were blocked due to the NPLEx system data base.

In July 2011, the Morrow Police Department discovered a clandestine methamphetamine lab in their village, and their information proved to be very important to the furtherance of this case at that time. This was followed closely by the discovery of an additional lab in Salem Township.

"The manufacturing of methamphetamine is an extraordinarily volatile process that puts surrounding residents and responding law enforcement officers in grave danger of serious injury or even death.  Our office will continue to work with the Drug Task Force and other law enforcement officials to aggressively prosecute those who manufacture and traffic this vile drug."

David Fornshell, Warren County Prosecutor

Some of the defendants are currently incarcerated or are on probation/parole with others at large and are being sought by the drug task force.