By RODNEY L. SHERMAN
Staff writer
SHIPPENVILLE – A Shippenville man faces charges he set up and operated two methamphetamine labs in the span of a month at his residence, including a second lab set up after police had raided the first.
The suspect also faces charges of selling the drug to a confidential informant three times after the first lab was raided.
A Franklin woman also is charged in the case.
William L. Blum Jr., 46, Shippenville, is charged with three counts of manufacturing a controlled substance (methamphetamine), a first-degree felony; two counts of possession of chemicals with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, a first-degree felony; two counts of operation of a methamphetamine lab, a second-degree felony; three counts of criminal use of a communication facility and one count of dumping waste from the manufacture of methamphetamine, all third-degree felonies; one count of possession of a controlled substance and three counts of delivery of a controlled substance all as an unclassified felonies; nine counts of possession of a controlled substance and four counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, all unclassified misdemeanors; and one count of possession of a prohibited weapon, a first degree misdemeanor, all between Aug. 12 and Sept. 8 in Clarion Borough and along Blum Lane in Beaver Township.
Megan R. Reed, 24, Franklin, is charged with one count each of manufacturing a controlled substance (methamphetamine), and possession of chemicals with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, both first-degree felonies, and possession of a controlled substance, an unclassified misdemeanor, at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 12 along Blum Lane in Beaver Township.
First lab found
Clarion County Chief Detective and Clarion Narcotics Enforcement Team leader William H. Peck IV was contacted around 2:30 p.m. Aug. 12 by the loss prevention officer at WalMart in Monroe Township.
The loss prevention officer told Peck an adult female was in the store attempting to purchase lithium batteries. The loss prevention officer told Peck the woman was wearing a yellow shirt and blue headband and appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance.
As Peck arrived at the store, the loss prevention officer telephoned Peck and said the woman had left the store through the lawn and garden section. Peck observed the woman leave the store and enter a car Peck suspected based on past encounters, belonged to Blum.
The car was driven by another adult female. Peck followed the car to Blum’s residence.
Peck was able to research recent Sudafed purchases and learned Reed had purchased Sudafed earlier that day and had made four Sudafed purchases since May. One of those purchases allegedly occurred at an Emlenton pharmacy. Employees at the store remembered Reed making the purchase (along with a Kit Kat candy bar) and recalled Reed was with another woman. The women left the store and entered a vehicle matching the description of Blum’s vehicle. A male was driving the car and a third woman was a passenger in the vehicle.
Within the previous 10 days prior to the WalMart incident, a known but unidentified female was detained in Shippenville by Clarion County Adult Probation. The female allegedly was in possession of methamphetamine and was driving a car matching the description of Blum’s vehicle. Blum was a passenger in the vehicle and gave probation agents permission to search the vehicle.
A revolver handgun was found under the passenger seat. It was later determined the gun was stolen.
Peck and state police later that day went to Blum’s residence to question him about the stolen gun and about another gun reported stolen with the recovered revolver. Police also wanted to talk to Blum about methamphetamine activity.
Court documents contend Blum was living in a utility trailer on the property and was not home when police arrived. Peck observed several signs of methamphetamine production in plain view around the outside of the trailer, including remnants of lithium batteries in a burn pit.
Police looked through the windows of a car parked on the property. The car is registered to Blum. Police alleged observed a sawed-off shotgun inside the vehicle. Peck obtained a search warrant for the property and conducted a search.
Among the items found and seized were five firearms, Blum’s driver’s license and approximately 50 items related to the alleged manufacture of methamphetamine.
Alleged sales
While charges in that case were pending, at 12:42 p.m. Aug. 31, in Clarion, a confidential informant called Blum on a cellular telephone and agreed to buy methamphetamine from Blum in exchange for $100.
Blum allegedly told the informant to leave the money in a parked car.
Police observed Blum approach the unattended parked vehicle, enter the vehicle for a few moments and then the vehicle.
Police allege the money left in the car was gone and packets of methamphetamine were left behind.
A similar exchange allegedly occurred at 12:20 p.m. Sept. 2 in Clarion with the sale price being $150.
A third sale in the same manner allegedly occurred at 5:40 p.m. Sept. 8 in Clarion with the sale price being $150.
Shortly after the alleged Sept. 8 exchange, Blum was stopped by police along Church Road in Clarion and arrested without incident.
Inside Blum’s vehicle, police allegedly found $140 of the marked money left in the car in which Blum allegedly left the methamphetamine, a plastic bag containing marijuana, a pipe used for smoking marijuana, a jar containing methamphetamine, four needles and a spoon.
Blum was arraigned before District Judge Timothy Schill and placed in the Clarion County Jail in lieu of $75,000 cash bail.
Another meth lab
After his arrest, Blum was questioned by Peck.
Blum said he came to Clarion from “home,” and Peck asked Blum if that was the same “home” at which Peck had found the meth lab in August.
Blum said it was the same location. Blum declined to say who had cooked the meth, saying he didn’t want to get anyone in trouble.
A female passenger in the vehicle with Blum at the time of his arrest, allegedly told police she had been at Blum’s trailer earlier that day and observed him crushing pills but did not see him making meth.
Another search warrant was obtained for Blum’s trailer.
Police allegedly found and seized about 15 items allegedly used for making methamphetamine.