The discovery of a suspected methamphetamine lab in the basement of a Claysburg home in December is connected to at least five people in Bedford and Blair counties, police allege.
Bedford County residents Shawn T. Babcock, 30, of Manns Choice, and Janelle C. Smith, 18, of Osterburg, are both charged with seven felony counts, including operation of a meth lab, stemming from their alleged involvement in making the illicit stimulant, according to court documents filed before Magisterial District Judge Craig Ormsby in Roaring Spring.
Greenfield Township police uncovered the suspected meth lab at 149 Arden St. on Dec. 9 after Sgt. Barry Fry was dispatched to the home for a disturbance and was told by the man who called in the complaint that there was a meth lab in the house.
When Fry asked the home's resident, Ginny A. Perdew, 31, if he could search the home to see if there was a meth lab inside, Perdew allegedly told him, "Search anything you want," court records show.
Fry noted in the affidavit of probable cause filed in the cases that he had heard similar reports of an alleged lab there in the past.
In the basement, Frye discovered the trappings of a meth-making operation, including a 2-liter bottle containing a granular substance next to a sealed mason jar holding a cloudy liquid along with coffee filters coated with white residue, police said.
Police said they also found lithium batteries, lithium strips, 17 empty packages of various pseudoephedrine cold and allergy medications, crumpled aluminum foil, cotton-tipped swabs, syringes, tubing, several bottles of drain cleaner and lighter fluid well as other tools and equipment that appeared to have been used to make meth, according to court documents.
When questioned, Perdew waived her Miranda rights and told police Babcock and Smith had her buy pseudoephedrine from Walmart in East Freedom in October and the two had told her they needed it to make meth, which Perdew said they did four times at Perdew's Arden Street home.
In at least one instance, Perdew smoked meth after the pair cooked it in the basement, police noted.
Smith allegedly confessed during a Dec. 10 police interview that she, along with Perdew, Babcock and two others who have not yet been charged, bought up pseudoephedrine from various stores in Blair and Bedford counties and made meth in Perdew's basement. Police said Smith detailed the process and said they intended to make the meth to sell but ultimately would use most of it themselves.
Police said pseudoephedrine logs from pharmacies in Blair and Bedford counties showed the group bought psuedoephedrine 16 times between Oct. 11 and Dec. 8.
Blair County Assistant District Attorney Julie Koren said Thursday that Perdew left the area and faces arrest on multiple felony charges and that more arrests are likely.
Babcock remains in Blair County Prison in lieu of $50,000 cash bail, while Smith posted 10 percent of $50,000 on Thursday. Preliminary hearings are scheduled Feb. 9 before Ormsby.
Mirror Staff Writer Greg Bock is at 946-7458.
