New Meth-Busting Decongestant in Local Pharmacies This Month

Zephrex-D is a new decongestant that drug agents say cannot be converted into methamphetamine. A prescription will not be required to purchase the drug in some areas.

Zephrex-D, a new decongestant that its manufacturer and St. Louis-area drug agents say cannot be converted into methamphetamine, is set to hit local pharmacies this month. Since its maker and drug agents say it cannot be converted into meth, it will also be sold without a prescription in some counties that have recently passed ordinances requiring a prescription to purchase pseudo-ephedrine products like Claritin-D and Allegra-D. Zephrex-D is manufactured by Maryland Heights-based Highland Pharmaceuticals. Westport Pharmaceuticals is a subsidiary of Highland. Paul Hemings, with Westport Pharmaceuticals, isn't giving specifics yet, but tells Patch that the drug will soon be shipping to area pharmacies. "We have major retailers lined up. We …

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South County Man Faces Drug Trafficking Charge

Police said an officer spotted the man dropping a bottle that contained a methamphetamine mixture.

A South County man faces a drug charge after police said they found he had more than 30 grams of a methamphetamine mixture. Michael Klaus, 31, of the 2900 block of Highland House Hills in South County near Arnold, was charged Monday with second-degree trafficking in drugs, a class B felony. St. Louis County Police said an officer approached Klaus at 2711 Telegraph Road in Mehlville and saw him drop a bottle with a foamy substance. The officer retrieved the bottle, which tested positive for meth, according to court documents. Police said the bottle had 30 grams of a mixture that included meth. Klaus is being held in Jefferson County jail in lieu of a $50,000 bond. For more information on Arnold Patch, see the following articles:

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Arnold Crime Log

Police: Mobile Meth Lab Found in Arnold Man's Car

St. Louis County police arrested the man in the Gravois Bluffs Plaza parking lot in Fenton.

An Arnold man was charged Aug. 9 with cooking methamphetamine in a mobile lab in his car in Fenton. Dustin Wadsworth, 31, of the 2100 block of Plaza Drive in Arnold, was charged with manufacturing or producing meth. (See related on Patch: Burglar Makes $7,000 Haul in Coins, Currency, Computer) St. Louis County police said they found a one-pot meth lab in his car on Jan. 8 at in the Gravois Bluffs Plaza parking lot. Bond was set at $25,000. For more crime information on Arnold Patch, see the following articles:

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Jefferson County Sheriff's Department Crime Log

Two De Soto People Sentenced on Federal Drug Charges

The two people pleaded guilty to conspiring to make methamphetamine, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Glen J. Kennemore and Tanya E. Kennemore, both of De Soto, MO pleaded guilty to the felony charge of conspiracy to possess pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. Glen was sentenced to 28 months in prison, on May 25, for February 2009 events. Tanya was sentenced, on June 1, to 60 months in prison for her actions in February 2011, a U.S. Attorney's Office news release said. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the cases. Methamphetamine, also called meth, causes a feeling of happiness in people who snort, smoke, or inject the drug, said the National Institute of Drug Abuse website. The National Institute of Health manages the website. Meth use changes …

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Jefferson County Led MO in 2011 Methamphetamine Lab Seizures

Manufacturers move between counties to make purchases within legal limits.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported on Feb. 17, there were 2,096 methamphetamine laboratory seizures in Missouri in 2011, an increase of more than six percent from 2010. There was a drop in meth lab seizures in 2006, after anti-meth lab legislation was enacted, but the number has climbed since then. Jefferson County led Missouri counties with 253 seizures. For comparison, nearby St. Louis County saw 93 seizures; St. Genevieve County 11; Franklin County 97 and St. Charles County had 111. Captain Tim Hull of the highway patrol called 2011 “epic” in its increase in seizures. “It’s a ongoing problem,” Hull said. “Not just for the highway patrol but for all law enforcement agencies across the state and across the country.” He said the …

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Jefferson County Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Charges

The man was set to begin trial on Nov. 14 but pleaded guilty a day before.

Dominic Orlando, a resident of De Soto, pled guilty to one count of possessing pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, according to a press release by the United States Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Missouri. Orlando was scheduled to begin trial for the charges on Nov. 14, but instead chose to plead guilty a day before the trial. According to the release, Orlando will join a list of co-defendants who chose to plead guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to possess pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture meth. The following co-defendants await sentencing: The defendants could face a penalty of up to 20 years in jail and/or a fine of $250,000, depending on the judge’s sentencing.

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Three Jefferson and Dent Counties Residents Indicted on Meth Charges

Note: Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Three residents of Jefferson and Dent counties have been indicted on methamphetamine charges, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Missouri. Danny Boyer, of Fenton, Jeffrey Shultz, of Pacific, and Barbara Boyer, of Salem, were each indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to possess and one count of possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to make methamphetamine. Pseudoephedrine is a main component of methamphetamine. According to the release, if convicted, the accused could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. The Franklin County Narcotics Enforcement Unit investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Winfield …

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Arnold Passes Ordinance Restricting Pseudoephedrine Sales

Ward 1 Councilwoman Borgelt questions need for ordinance and how it was passed

The City of Arnold has joined the phalanx of local municipalities battling methamphetamine production by requiring a prescription to purchase pseudoephedrine in the city, but the manner in which the ordinance was passed is raising some questions on the council. Pseudoephedrine is an ingredient in some cold medicines and is a key ingredient in the manufacture of methaphetamine. Methamphetamine, or meth, can increase sexual arousal and reduce inhibitions, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control website.  Council members voted 4-to-4 on the ordinance at the Nov. 3 council meeting. Since Mayor Ron Counts was absent from the meeting, Ward 2 Councilman Bill Moritz, as mayor pro tem, cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the measure. Moritz had …

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Jefferson County Legislators, County Executive Appeal for Arnold to Restrict Cold Medicine Sales

A city ordinance requiring doctors' prescriptions for cold medicines would limit methamphetamine makers in Jefferson County, legislators say.

Jefferson County District 3 Council Member Bob Boyer, District 5 Council Member Teresa Kreitler and County Executive Ken Waller appealed to Arnold City Council members to consider limiting cold medicine sales to people with doctors' prescriptions. The proposed ordinance would limit the making of methamphetamine, also called meth, within Jefferson County, the county legislators said during the Arnold City Council meeting at 2101 Jeffco Blvd., last Thursday. Meth can be made from certain cold medicines containing Pseudoephedrine, a drug that reduces congestion and swelling in the nose, states the Food Marketing Institute website. Arnold is the last city in Jefferson County to consider requiring a prescription for the sale of cold medicines, …

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