East End man charged in meth lab case

EAST LIVERPOOL - An East Liverpool man accused of having an operating methamphetamine lab inside his Haywood Street home appeared in court Friday.

Robert R. Smith, 33, is charged with illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs. During his court appearance, a cash/surety or 10 percent bond was set at $25,000, and a preliminary hearing on the third degree felony charge is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. Thursday, members of the Columbiana County Drug Task Force (CCDTF) discovered the suspected methamphetamine lab inside Smith's 122 Haywood St. home.

Det. Dan Downard, CCDTF director, said the lab was the "one pot" or "shake and bake" style.

The discovery came after the East Liverpool Police Department received a call about a man slumped over in a vehicle along Avondale Street.

East Liverpool police Officer Chad Tatgenhorst responded to the call at 4:46 p.m. Thursday and reported seeing a male slumped over the steering wheel. Tatgenhorst said he knocked on the window several times to wake up Smith.

According to the initial report, Smith had a brown substance all over his face.

Tatgenhorst had Smith step out of the vehicle and searched Smith for possible weapons. According to the report, the officer found two small knives in Smith's back pants pocket and a metal container in his left front pocket. When the officer asked Smith what was in the container, Smith reportedly said it was "crystal meth."

Some pills were also reportedly found in Smith's possession. The suspect was taken to the East Liverpool Police Department for an interview.

"After speaking with him at the police department, we got some information that something may have been going on at the house," Downard said.

Members of the CCDTF and East Liverpool Police Department went to the residence at approximately 6:30 p.m. Thursday and located the lab in the kitchen area of the house, according to Downard.

"The method of making meth was on a smaller scale than the step-by-step method, but it's easier to do," Downard said. "The 'one pot' method is just not as noticeable. It can be done in a Mason jar or a two liter pop bottle."

After the discovery, Smith was formally charged and taken to the county jail.

Downard said some other individuals associated with the case were interviewed including a female who showed up at the residence later to take care of a dog. Smith is the only person facing charges at this point.

Additional charges against Smith are possible, Downard noted.

The methamphetamine problem in the area is growing, according to the head of the Drug Task Force.

"In my opinion there's definitely been an increase in the number of cases, and, unfortunately, it's probably a larger number than people realize," the director said.

Last year, five labs were shuttered in Columbiana County. Thursday night's investigation was the first meth lab bust of this year.

Some of the materials found Thursday are consistent with chemicals or supplies used in a methamphetamine lab. Drain opening cleaner, Coleman fuel and allergy relief medication were discovered, according to the official court complaint.

"The sinus or allergy medication is like the flour in a cake mix - you have to have that," Downard said. "Beyond that, the other ingredients used in these illegal labs vary."

From the larger more complex labs to the "one pot" methods, Downard said each must be treated the same way. Officers donned protective clothing while dismantling the lab.

"No matter how you cook it, they all have the potential to explode or emit toxic gases," Downard said.