By DORIS COOK
Staff Writer
dcook@starbeacon.com
THOMPSON TOWNSHIP - Armed with a search warrant, Geauga County sheriff’s
deputies, Thompson Township police and Trumbull, Ashtabula, Geauga (TAG)
drug task force officers raided a mobile methamphetamine lab on Tuesday
night, resulting in the arrests of four people.
Arrested were the homeowner William Armstrong, 52, of 17799 Rock Creek Road,
Thompson; Charles Hall, 46, of 4530 N. Ridge Road, Geneva; James Buskirk,
20, of 5589 S. Ridge Road, Geneva; and Heather Tinker, 20, of 108 E. Main
St., Orwell. Armstrong, Hall and Buskirk were charged with knowingly
possessing or assembly of chemicals for manufacturing methamphetamines,
third-degree felonies.
Tinker was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, both
misdemeanors.
The four suspects appeared in Chardon Municipal Court Wednesday morning on
the drug-related charges. Judge Mark Hassett set $25,000 cash or surety bond
for Armstrong, Hall and Buskirk, and they went back to the Geauga Safety
Center. Tinker was released on a personal recognizance bond, said Geauga
County Sheriff Dan McClelland.
During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, McClelland and Thompson
Township Police Chief Robert Fowler related what led up to the discovery of
the mobile drug lab at Armstrong’s house. Drug materials were found in the
bedroom of the house and in an abandoned car at the site, Fowler said.
"We have had the house under surveillance for some time, suspecting drugs
were being made there. On Monday, Mr. Armstrong called our Thompson police
to come remove an unwanted person at his house," said Fowler. The man,
identified as Michael Lynch, 20, of 1738 Pamona Drive, Geneva, was wanted on
an outstanding warrant in Ashtabula County. Lynch was turned over to
Ashtabula County sheriff’s deputies that night.
"While we were at the house, our officers saw contraband materials. There
was evidence meth was made there," said Fowler. Law-enforcement
officers got the search warrant, McClelland said, to make the raid, hoping
to get as much evidence as possible.
Drug-related materials, glass bottles, vases, tubing and other precursor
ingredients used to make methamphetamine were confiscated, officials said.
During the press conference Wednesday, the confiscated materials from
Armstrong’s home were laid out at the Geauga Safety Center conference room.
"This was a no-knock search warrant. We surprised them. Armstrong was
outside the house when we got there, and the three other people were inside,
smoking marijuana," said Fowler.
Armstrong is the individual, who on Aug. 23 allegedly attempted to run over
a Thompson police officer and sheriff’s deputy with his bulldozer. A
sheriff’s cruiser was damaged in the incident, said McClelland. Armstrong
was arrested that night, after officers got him out of the bulldozer. He was
charged with aggravated assault and driving under the influence of alcohol
or drugs during the Aug. 23 incident, according to McClelland.
"The Tuesday night arrests were fairly peaceful. We had a slight
confrontation when we got into the house with 11 armed officers," said
McClelland. "We will continue to drive these mobile meth labs out.
Methamphetamine is a very dangerous drug and easy to make."
Inside the house, officers found a drawing of Armstrong’s bulldozer from the
Aug. 23 incident. On the back side were these words scribbled: "Never will
they take advantage of me. I will not be there (sic) piece of (excrement).
They better back off, back off before I squash them like the flies they
are."
"We called the TAG officers in to help dismantle the lab, as most of this
stuff is volatile. It can blow up. Household items and medicine you can buy
at the drugstore or convenience stores are used to make methamphetamine,"
said McClelland.
Both McClelland and Fowler praised the teamwork of the officers involved in
the meth-lab raid.
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