Suspected Meth Lab in Phillips, Maine [UPDATE]

Maine Drug Enforcement Agents today dismantled two methamphetimine labs in Franklin County, bringing the state’s total for the year to 17, three short of the all time record.  Two men and two women were arrested and charged with selling the drug. 

The discovery began last night after Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputies stopped a vehicle on Route 4 in Avon.  They found evidence inside the Jeep Grand Cherokee of meth manufacturing, and then went to a house at 1495 Rangeley Road in Phillips, where more meth was discovered.   Today drug agents in protective suits with ventilation gear searched the house and vehicle and found evidence of meth manufacturing at both locations. The Jeep had been taken to the sheriff’s office impound lot in Farmington.

Charged with trafficking in methamphetamine are  Jason Fowler, 39, Chesterville,  Michael Halle, 45, of Phillips, Erin Smith, 42, of Ocala, Florida and  Kimberly Webber, 25, of Vienna, Maine.   The four were taken to the Franklin County Jail and will make their first court appearance on Wednesday.  Fowler was also charged by deputies with operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.  The house in Phillips is owned by Halle.

Assisting drug agents and deputies were the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the fire departments in Farmington and Phillips, and Northstar Emergency Medical Services.  In addition to the house in Phillips and the vehicle in Farmington, a third location was also searched in Chesterville where items from the manufacturing operation had been dumped.