More than 60 members of federal, state and local law enforcement performed a
Geauga County first on Friday - the busting of what authorities say was a
fully operational methamphetamine lab. Ernest E. Corrigan, 14367
Sisson Road in Hambden Township, was arrested without incident and charged
after authorities executed a federal arrest warrant and a federal search
warrant in his home, said Patrick Berarducci, senior special agent for the
U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Corrigan, 42, who when taken from the scene was wearing a T-shirt that said
"NOT GUILTY," was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm; use
of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime; and manufacture/distribution
of a controlled substance, methamphetamines, Berarducci said. Federal
charges were levied against Corrigan because he has a prior federal record,
Geauga County Sheriff Dan McClelland said.
Berarducci said Corrigan was convicted in U.S. District Court in Colorado
for use of a firearm in drug trafficking and drug trafficking,
methamphetamine. Corrigan served seven years in federal prison for those
crimes, but it was not known where. Corrigan was scheduled to appear
Friday afternoon in federal court in Cleveland. The operation was
coordinated by ATF agents from Youngstown, Cleveland and Detroit;
representatives from the Trumbull, Ashtabula and Geauga Law Enforcement Task
Force; the Geauga County Sheriff's Office; and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal
Identification and Investigation.
The Hambden Township Fire Department was also on the scene for precautionary
reasons. Friday's bust was a culmination of about a yearlong
investigation, most of which was done undercover, McClelland said. The
entire investigation started as a TAG matter. That agency then called
in ATF agents from Youngstown to assist. "We are very pleased to have
accomplished this without anyone getting hurt," Berarducci said.
"It's a significant endeavor. This went off flawlessly." Agents did not
perform the bust until Corrigan's wife and three children had left the house
in the morning, Berarducci said. The arrest occurred about 8:30 a.m. Eleven
guns were also seized from the house, Sheriff's Office spokesman John Hiscox
said.
Corrigan's wife, who was not identified because she was not charged, is said
to be 32, McClelland said. The three children are 14, 11 and 10, according
to the sheriff. McClelland added "there certainly could be" charges
levied against Corrigan's wife, and an investigation into Corrigan's alleged
operation is still ongoing. Geauga County Job and Family Services will
be contacted to examine the children's situation, he said.
The alleged meth lab was comprised of material scattered throughout the
residence in plain view of family members, McClelland said after an initial
sweep of the building was completed. When agents arrived Friday
morning, Corrigan "had a batch" of methamphetamine ready to be "cooked,"
though he had not started, McClelland said.
Methamphetamine is a stimulant that releases high levels of the
neurotransmitter dopamine, which enhances mood and body movement, according
to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Corrigan could make 1 or 2
ounces of the drug per batch, McClelland said. Authorities believe Corrigan
cooked a batch every other day.
The Geauga County Sheriff's Office, through a sting operation, recently
bought a half-ounce of methamphetamine for $400, McClelland said, stressing
that Corrigan likely had a profitable business.
"I believe he is a big supplier for the multi-county area," the sheriff
said. "This is pretty elaborate. I'm glad we're putting an end to it for his
children's sake and the safety of the community." Corrigan has
rented the home, which is just east of Route 608, for two years, McClelland
said. The sheriff did not identify the landlord of the home, who reportedly
lives in Cuyahoga County. Once authorities secured the home Friday,
TAG agents entered the house in special chemical suits to check the area for
danger. McClelland said that because making methamphetamine entails large
amounts of dangerous chemicals, meth labs are often volatile environments.
There are thousands of Web sites with recipes and information about making
methamphetamine, he said. Over-the-counter cold and asthma medications
containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, red phosphorous, hydrochloric acid,
drain cleaner, battery acid, lye, lantern fuel and antifreeze are among the
ingredients most commonly used, according to the Office of National Drug
Control Policy. McClelland said Corrigan worked deals to obtain
Sudafed, an over-the-counter medication that has become harder to acquire
since authorities have linked making methamphetamine with frequent purchase
of the drug, McClelland said.
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