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Bellefonte trio charged for cooking meth

Sandra Conklin

By SARAH PAEZ

spaez@lockhaven.com

BELLEFONTE — Three Bellefonte residents are facing charges of operating an alleged meth lab in their home.

Alyssa McKinley, 25, Sandra Conklin, 49, and Joseph Grassmyer, 46, all of 118 Dublinwood Drive in Boggs Township, are jailed on $100,000 bail at the Centre County Correctional Facility.

Each is charged with two first-degree felonies–possession of esters/salts/isomers with intent to manufacture a controlled substance, and manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance; one second-degree felony–operating a methamphetamine lab; and one third-degree felony–risking catastrophe.

Alyssa McKinley

First-degree felonies can carry sentences up to 20 years and/or a $25,000 fine. Second- and third-degree felonies can carry sentences up to 10 and 7 years, and/or fines of $25,000 and $15,000, respectively.

They are also charged with two misdemeanors: unlawful possession of a controlled substance by persons not registered, and conspiracy–intentional possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered.

According to the affidavit, while on routine patrol the evening of May 21, Rockview State Police Trooper John Schall saw McKinley, who had an outstanding arrest warrant for retail theft and falsely identifying herself to law enforcement, enter 118 Dublinwood Drive around 6 p.m. When he knocked on the door, Conklin answered and said McKinley was inside and allowed Schall to enter in order to retrieve her.

While walking through the residence, Schall said he “observed in plain view drug paraphernalia” and a “clear glass smoking device with residue.” He could also smell a strong odor of marijuana. Then, he encountered Grassmyer, who was found to have $1,792 in cash in his left pants pocket, on which a K9 cash scan later identified drug residue.

Trooper Schall also saw “several hypodermic needles, razor blades and a glass vial containing a white residue,” according to the affidavit.

Joseph Grassmyer

At 8 p.m. the same night, Schall obtained a search warrant from Magisterial District Judge Allen Sinclair for the Dublinwood Drive residence.

During the search, he found what he identified as a “one pot” active methamphetamine lab. This method of making meth typically involves combining various chemicals in a plastic bottle to manufacture the drug. It is considered rudimentary and extremely dangerous, because the chemicals can explode at any moment.

Schall said that to form methamphetamine, a person must mix pseudoephedrine, ammonium salt, a base like sodium hydroxide, a reactive metal and an organic solvent in a plastic bottle to create a chemical reaction. The methamphetamine is then made usable by adding hydrochloric acid gas from a gas generator (e.g. a smoke bottle). In the smoke bottle, the person combines an acid, aluminum foil, or drain clearer with salt. They make a hole in the cap and pass one end of the plastic/rubber tube through the hole and into the mixture, and the other end is placed into the solvent that contains the methamphetamine.

Schall explained in the affidavit that lithium, a reactive metal, can be extracted from lithium batteries using pliers; Drano or most types of drain clearer contain sodium hydroxide; cold medicine contains pseudoephedrine; cold packs are a common source of ammonium nitrate; and lighter fluid acts as an organic solvent.

Most of these objects commonly used to make meth were found in McKinley’s bedroom in the residence. In the affidavit, Trooper Schall said the “one pot” operation he found contained ingredients like lithium batteries, Drano, red phosphorus and burnt spoons.

In all three criminal complaints, Schall stated that the three defendants possessed the prohibited and regulated substances “red phosphorus, hypophosphoric acid, ammonium sulfate, phosphorus, iodine, hydriodic acid, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, lithium, sodium, potassium, sassafras oil (and) safrole oil” for the purpose of producing methamphetamine.

Trooper Schall said at the residence he also obtained two plastic baggies containing leafy substances, an 8 mg Suboxone strip, a glassine baggy containing three white pills, a clear container containing a suspected Suboxone strip, an oval pill labeled G32-500, an oval white pill labeled IP189, several glass smoking devices, a red pill crusher with residue, a green plastic spoon with residue, a Schrade pocket knife with residue, two Samsung cell phones, two Apple iPhones and the $1,792 in cash from Grassmyer’s pocket.

All three defendants will have preliminary hearings Thursday, May 30 before District Judge Sinclair.

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