A woman will be liable for paying McMinnville Housing Authority over $10,000 to clean up the meth lab she and her boyfriend were operating out of her apartment.
The defendant, Susan Haston, 37, entered guilty pleas to the charge of promoting the manufacture of meth. She was directed by Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley to serve 120 days of a three-year sentence and pay a $2,000 drug fine.
She will also be jointly liable to pay $10,731 to McMinnville Housing Authority for meth lab clean up. The amount is to be paid by her and co-defendant, Jonathan Curtis, 32, once his case is settled.
The two were arrested when officers arrived at a residence at 102 Lyndon Street with a search warrant. They found numerous items used in the production of methamphetamine. The items included a glass jar with lithium batteries, stained coffee filters, aluminum foil balls, an active shake bottle, a gasser, a pressure device for a shake bottle, and a jug of Coleman fuel.
The couple was taken into custody and charged with operating the meth lab. As a result of the discovery, MHA incurred fees for a clean-up of the apartment since it was used to manufacture meth. Structures used to manufacture the drug are required to pass a health inspection before they are habitable again. Many times specialized clean-up services are required to bring the buildings up to code. Haston and Curtis will be responsible for paying back MHA for the clean up.
In addition to the meth lab, Haston also entered a guilty plea to the charge of aggravated criminal trespassing. Prosecutors say she smuggled Curtis into the Families in Crisis home where he stayed for several hours while other victims of abuse were staying there. She was given probation and must perform 16 hours public service work for the trespassing count.
Haston guilty of meth charge


Published: Aug 30, 2013, 12:57 AM