BRACEVILLE - The Trumbull County Sheriff's Office worked with the Trumbull-Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force to break up a suspected methamphetamine lab here Friday.
The resident and suspected operator of the lab, Carlos G. Cowger, is currently under indictment on meth manufacturing, and aggravated drug possession and trafficking charges from November.
TAG officials said they got an anonymous call about 10:30 a.m. Friday reporting the smell of chemicals coming from near the 1082 Braceville Robinson Road home.
When law enforcement officials arrived at the home, they claim Cowger was in the garage preparing the chemicals for the manufacturing process, which officials called a "shake and bake" or "one pot cook" method of making the drug.
"It's a simplified method and a more dangerous method," said TAG Lt. Jeff Orr.
TAG members say Cowger also had a small amount of finished product in a vial in his pocket.
Cowger was arrested and decontaminated at the scene so he could be taken to the Trumbull County Jail, where the Warren Fire Department had set up another decontamination site.
Trumbull County HazMat was on the scene to neutralize the toxic chemicals and help law enforcement test the substance found there.
Authorities say Cowger is a known meth manufacturer, and records show he is a repeat offender.
Cowger was arrested in mid-November 2011, and faces second-degree felony charges in Newton Falls Court of illegally manufacturing methamphetamine and aggravated drug trafficking, and third-degree manufacturing and fourth-degree aggravated trafficking charges in Warren. His next scheduled hearing was set for Feb. 21.
When Cowger was arrested in November, he also was awaiting a Dec. 1 hearing in Newton Falls for a May 31 drug abuse charge and a July 12 paraphernalia charge.
"Just because you get them once, it's not like they're not going go out there and do it again, they have to have it," Orr said. "He's probably going to get his bond revoked, that's the only way we can assure he doesn't go back to cooking."
Neighbors said they frequently smell a chemical or otherwise offensive odor coming from the house.
"I smell that smell like burning garbage all the time," said Jack Paisley.
Paisley said he was walking his dog earlier Friday morning and saw suspicious activity but did not call police.
"I saw a guy in a red pick up go and get a bundle from the house, and put it in the truck and go back into the house," he said.
Earl Blevins said he also smelled chemicals Thursday night while walking his dog, then again on Friday morning.
"That's the same thing I smelled last time when they busted him," Blevins said. "I'm surprised he got out so quick. I don't think he'll be getting out this time.
Blevins said he also did not call the police but might have done so if he'd thought about it Thursday night.
Cowger is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Newton Falls.
"We're going to charge him with pretty much the same charges we got him on in November," Orr said.
Friday's incident was not the only meth case to make headlines this week.
Earlier in the week, two people were charge in Cortland with running a meth lab, but have denied the charges.
Thursday night, Fowler police stopped a vehicle at the intersection of state Routes 305 and 193. The driver ran while the passenger remained. A search of the vehicle yielded items used for making meth, according to police. Fowler police Chief Mike Currington said no arrests have been made but the investigation continues.
Orr cautioned residents that neighborhood awareness is one of the task force's keys to fighting drug activity.
"Be aware of strange odors or suspicious behavior. If you've seen that you need to pick up the phone so somebody can look into it," he said.
