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Meth Crackdown in Steuben Targets Cold Medicine Purchases

By Jeff Neumeyer
June 18, 2010 Updated Jun 18, 2008 at 5:08 PM EST

FORT WAYNE, IN (Indiana's NewsCenter) -- There’s a new twist in the battle against illegal drugs happening in Steuben County.

It involves a warning for people who buy cold medicines used in the production of methamphetamine.

Corporal Chris Emerick, who is linked with a special drug task force, is checking out local pharmacy logbook records, and some of the names found could be hauled into jail.

The same drug task force, dubbed “IMAGE”, has announced the arrest of 26-year old Robert Bonham and 25-year old Brandon Wooster of Angola on felony charges related to meth dealing and possession.

Meanwhile, the sales of two of the key ingredients used to cook up meth--ephedrine and pseudoephedrine-- are being monitored closely in that county.

Under Indiana law, if you buy more than three grams of those substances in a week's time, you're breaking the law.

Officer Emerick has started making the rounds of local pharmacies and gas stations that sell the stuff in Steuben, to pinpoint violators.

Corporal Chris Emerick/Steuben County Sheriff's Dept.: " It has been on the rise for awhile and we really started looking at the logs within the last two months and started really keeping track of it to try and get a handle on the meth problem here in our county. Probably anywhere between 75 and 100 more people could be facing arrest warrants soon."

Emerick is saying up to 100 people could be hauled into jail on misdemeanor charges for ephedrine and pseudoephedrine purchases that exceed limits.

He says they look at each individual case, so if you innocently bought too much to take for a cold, you might not be charged.

In Indiana so far, the system can’t tell people up front if they're buying too much.

We’re told in Michigan, stores share information through a computer network and will deny sale to someone who is already over the limit.



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