Three arrested on meth charges in Greenfield

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Three people were arrested following the discovery of an active one-pot meth lab during a traffic stop in Greenfield on Tuesday. This is the fourth reported incident involving meth labs in the last two weeks for the village.

According to Sgt. Jeremiah Oyer with the Greenfield Police Department, at approximately 8:14 p.m. a GPD officer made a “routine traffic stop” on South Fifth Street by the school.

Those identified in the vehicle were Timothy S. Seitz, 26, Nikki R. Ralph, 30, and Mark L. Ward Jr., 21, all of Greenfield. Seitz was driving the vehicle, Oyer said.

During the traffic stop, it was discovered that Seitz had a suspended driver’s license, and he was arrested. Oyer said after all the occupants were removed from the vehicle, an inventory of the vehicle revealed an active one-pot meth lab in a hat under a seat, as well as chemicals allegedly used to manufacture meth in a backpack in the back seat.

Each of the occupants were arrested and charged with first-degree felony illegal manufacture of drugs in the vicinity of a school, and second-degree felony illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs in the vicinity of a school, Oyer said.

Seitz, Ralph, and Ward each appeared in the Highland County Court in Greenfield on Wednesday morning for arraignment and are each held on $90,000 bond on each of the charges they face, according to the court. They are all set for preliminary hearings next week.

Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District personnel assisted on scene, as well as deputies from the Highland County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). The one-pot lab and meth-related items recovered from the vehicle were neutralized and tested on scene by certified personnel with HCSO.

The matter is to be reviewed by the Highland County Prosecutor’s Office.

On another meth-related matter, Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera said that his office received a tip about a possible meth lab in the 700 block of Jefferson Street in Greenfield shortly before 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

He said deputies searched the area and discovered a “suspicious bag” in the rear of a parked vehicle. The bag contained “various chemicals used to make meth,” he said.

No further information was available, Barrera said, though the matter remains under investigation.

Paint Creek assisted HCSO on scene.

Reach Angela Shepherd at 937-393-3456, ext. 1681, or on Twitter @wordyshepherd.

By Angela Shepherd

Civitas Media Service

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