Three people Arrested in Crystal, Maine for Operating a Meth Lab
As part of an ongoing investigation into local drug manufacturing, MDEA's Lab Response Team served a search warrant on Monday night at the home of 41-year-old Jamie Kaelin on the Crystal Road in Crystal.
Agents recovered methamphetamine and evidence of methamphetamine manufacturing from the home. Agents also seized four firearms alleged to be illegally possessed in furtherance of drug crimes.
Officials said Kaelin and 35-year-old Andrea Pipes were both home at the time agents arrived to serve the warrant and offered no resistance. They were both arrested and charged with aggravated operation of a methamphetamine lab.
Also arrested in connection with this investigation is 49-year-old Todd Burdick of Sherman. Burdick is charged with possession of methamphetamine and operation of a methamphetamine lab, and will also return to court for violating conditions of his probation.
Burdick was on probation for making methamphetamine in 2016. His attempts to make methamphetamine at that time caused two fires in Sherman.
MDEA was assisted on Monday by the Aroostook County Sheriff's Office, Maine Department of Environmental Protection and Patten Fire Department.
All of those arrested were taken to the Aroostook County Jail. Burdick was denied bail, while Kaelin and Pipes both had their bail set at $750 cash.
Darrell O. Crandall, Commander, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency said:
MDEA and our law enforcement partners have charged nearly forty people in the last year for their roles in smuggling large quantities of commercial methamphetamine into Northern Maine. With these persistent enforcement efforts aimed at slowing the supply of commercial methamphetamine into this area it is not surprising to see pockets of local manufacturing increase as long as the demand for the drug remains. We will continue to aggressively address both of these supply lines in the interest of public health and safety.
Information on drug crimes may be reported to MDEA by calling the Tip Line at 800-452-6457 or anonymously by using MDEA’s Tip411 application for iPhone and Android. Text “MDEA,” followed by the information to 847411.