Meth Lab Found in North Woodbury Township; Two Charged

A new tenant moving into a trailer in North Woodbury Township led to the discovery of a suspected methamphetamine lab and the arrest of two Martinsburg men.

Joseph N. Meade, 29, and Seth A. Delozier, 36, are facing multiple felony charges after an investigation by police led to the pair’s arrest.

Methamphetamine (meth) is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system, according to drugabuse.gov. Also known as meth, blue, ice, and crystal, among many other terms, it takes the form of a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol.

According to charges filed by North Woodbury Township Police, on Feb. 4, a man was moving into a trailer along Ake Lane, Martinsburg, when he discovered suspicious items that he believed to be drug related. The trailer’s new resident told police that he was throwing out items left behind by the former resident when, in the bathroom, he discovered a backpack that contained a gas mask covered in white powder, a camouflage-pattern fanny pack and funnels, along with a large black trash bag in the shower stall.

Because of the suspected nature of the items, the police officer responding put on a mask and gloves and had the resident stay out of the bathroom while he investigated the contents of the backpack and trash bag.

The backpack allegedly contained a bottle with liquid in it wrapped in zip-to-close plastic bags, a pair of heavy green rubber gloves with white powder on them and a commercial-style gas mask and multiple plastic funnels with white powder on them lying within feet of the backpack. Inside the fanny pack was allegedly multiple tools and items related to drug paraphernalia.

When the officer opened the top of the garbage bag to inspect its contents, he allegedly found small rubber hoses and plastic cups with white powder on them and a plastic bottle and plastic bag with a crystal substance in both.

The officer identified the scene as a clandestine meth lab and evacuated the resident and his two companions from the house before calling in the Pa. State Police.

While waiting for the State Police Clandestine Lab Response Team to arrive from Greensburg, the officer questioned the witness who said he had just gained possession of the property that day and that the former resident had been evicted. The officer contacted the mobile home’s property manager, who confirmed that Delozier had been evicted for not paying his rent.

When the State Police Clandestine Lab Response Team arrived, members assessed the scene and allegedly confirmed the officer’s suspicion of a meth lab. A state police chemist arrived to secure the scene and packaged and documented the evidence for removal.

Among the items documented by the state police were two plastic bottles containing a white substance, a drain opener bottle, a plastic container with white residue, unused coffee filters, coffee filters with a white substance, Aleve-D Pseudo-ephedrine box and 10 empty blister packs, a Rite Aid Pharmacy receipt for an Aleve purchase, plastic tubing with residue, funnels with residue, a gas mask, camo-pattern bag containing a pipe cutter and pliers, Rayovac 123A lithium batteries and various other receipts.

The investigation

On Feb. 8, North Woodbury Township police interviewed Delozier at his workplace. In a written statement to police, Delozier allegedly stated that approximately two weeks prior, Meade asked Delozier to keep the meth lab at his trailer because it was raining that day and Meade didn’t want to get it wet.

When asked if he knew at that time that the backpack contained a meth lab, Delozier allegedly answered yes and that he is a meth user and had gotten meth from Meade in the past.

Delozier allegedly told the officer that he would testify against Meade because the meth was Meade’s and not his.

When asked about a receipt from Rite Aid in Roaring Spring for the purchase of Aleve-D Sinus and Cold on Jan. 6, Delozier allegedly denied making the purchase.

Police ran a National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx) search on both Delozier and Meade for the dates Jan.1 2020 through Feb. 12, 2022. NPLEx is a real-time electronic logging system that tracks sales of over-the counter cold and allergy medications containing pseudo-ephedrine which is commonly used in the manufacturing of meth.

The report allegedly showed that on Jan. 6, 2021, Delozier purchased Aleve-D Sinus and Cold at the Rite Aid in Roaring Spring with the date and time matching the receipt found in Delozier’s residence.

The NPLEx report on Meade allegedly showed nine purchases of Aleve-D Sinus and Cold from Rite Aid, Roaring Spring and Walmart pharmacies in Duncansville and Altoona between May 25, 2020, and Nov. 7, 2020.

Copies of the transactions provided to police by the pharmacies allegedly confirmed the signatures on the purchases matched the transaction signatures of Delozier and Meade for the purchase or attempted purchase of Aleve Sinus and Cold on the dates confirmed by NPLEx.

The report from the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Clandestine Lab Response Team allegedly found that the items taken from Delozier’s former residence are consistent with the manufacturing of methamphetamine using the “one pot” method and concluded that meth was being manufactured or attempting to be manufactured.

Charges

As a result of the investigation, Delozier and Meade are both facing five felony counts of risking a catastrophe, a felony count of possession of phenylpropanolamine or a precursor substance with intent to unlawfully manufacture, a felony count of operating a meth lab along with five misdemeanor counts each of recklessly endangering another person, one count each of knowingly possessing ephedrine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Delozier also faces a felony count of possession with intent to deliver and possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered. Meade faces additional felony counts of conspiracy of the manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy of possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered.

Meade was arraigned on March 3 by Martinsburg Magisterial District Judge Andrew Blattenberger and released on $75,000 unsecured bail. Delozier was arraigned by Blattenberger on March 4 and released on $50,000 unsecured bond.

Preliminary hearings are scheduled for today, March 11, in front of Blattenberger.