(Top row: Stark, Shoemaker, Gillespie, Comfort, Austin.
Middle row: Landsborough, Lafave, Buck, Jolley, Preston.
Bottom row: Sherman, Croft, Rafferty, W. Landborough, Trenchard.)
A five-month investigation conducted by the New York State
Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) into the unlawful purchase of
precursors used in the production of methamphetamine has resulted in the arrest
of 15 individuals.
According to State Police Senior Investigator Curt Eaton, the
case centered on the purchase of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, the active
ingredient found in Claritin, Sudafed, and other similar products. The purchase of these products is strictly
regulated by federal guidelines by both amount and frequency. Federal law limits the purchase of products
containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine to no more than 3.6 grams per day, and
no more than 9 grams in a 30-day period.
The investigation identified the following individuals who allegedly
actively purchased and attempted to purchase these precursors from several
regional pharmacies and then either used the product to manufacture
methamphetamine, or traded the product to known methamphetamine “cooks”, a
practice referred to as “smurfing”.
All of the defendants with one exception were charged with
Falsifying Business Records, 1st degree, a class “E” felony. It is alleged that the defendants, while
purchasing products containing pseudoephedrine and/or related products, caused
false entries to be made in the respective pharmacy records, and falsely
attested that they have not exceeded the federal purchasing guidelines. These false entries were made with intent to
commit and/or conceal the crime of Unlawful Manufacturing Methamphetamine
and/or to circumvent federal guidelines.
Arrested were:
--Michelle L. Croft; age 35; #765 Carriage Dr., Lindley,
N.Y.
--Daniel R. Gillespie; age 40; #4445 St. Rt. #417, Jasper,
N.Y.
--John L. Landsborough; age 51; #109 Howell St., Bath, N.Y.
--William S. Landsborough; age 33; #38 Ash St., Bath, N.Y.
--Joyce A. Lafave; age 50; #135 Water St., Bath, N.Y.
--Cody R. Shoemaker; age 29; #2619 Goff Rd., Corning, N.Y.
(charged with
Criminal Possession of Methamphetamine Manufacturing Materials, 2nd)
--Jeremy I. Comfort; age 31; #10641 Pinewood Ave., Corning,
N.Y.
--Melissa J. Sherman; age 37; #150 Ct. Rt. #115, Lindley,
N.Y.
--Megan M. Preston; age 25, #69 Willow Dr., Painted Post,
N.Y.
--Kerstyn M. Buck; age 20; #238 Scenic View Dr., Tioga, PA
--Kristina L. Jolley; age 48; #155 Victory Highway, Painted
Post, N.Y.
--Patrick M. Rafferty; age 26; #144 Front St., Addison, N.Y
--William J. Trenchard; age 37; #6948 Rumsey St. Ext., Bath,
N.Y.
--Chastity A. Stark; age 42; #54 W. Steuben St., Bath, N.Y.
--Jessica A. Austin; age 34; Holland-American Hotel; Bath,
N.Y.
Each defendant was arraigned in local criminal court,
pending Steuben County Grand Jury action.
