NORWICH – A 27-year-old Norwich man was charged with manufacturing meth and now sits at the Chenango County Correctional Facility in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Michael A. Pierce, 27, was located by members of the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police in a parking lot of a business in the Town of Norwich on Thursday. According to authorities, Pierce was in possession of several items used to manufacture and sell methamphetamine using the ‘one pot’ method.
“We now are seeing a tremendous influx of methamphetamine or ‘meth’ with this latest arrest,” said Chenango County Sheriff Ernest R. Cutting Jr. “We are again seeing the disposal of dangerous byproducts in these "one pot" methods of manufacturing drugs. These byproducts are extremely caustic requiring specialized cleanup crews to secure this waste.”
Said Cutting, “Drugs continue to plague our county, impacting families and friends in profound ways. The next serious public health issue related to the drug epidemic is the byproducts that users discard across our county roadways, parks and parking lots. These are the needles heroin users discard which have the potential to impact lives with accidental needle sticks which could lead to Hepatitis or a number of other blood borne diseases.”
“Once he was identified as the suspect, law enforcement worked quickly and efficiently to make sure they could stop him,” said Chenango County District Attorney Joseph McBride.
Authorities said that while continuing their investigation, they located several dump sites and used ‘one pots’ in the State Lands in the Preston and Pharsalia areas.
The New York State Police Contaminated Crime Scene Emergency Response Team (CCERT) cleaned all of the dump sites located.
Pierce faces the charges of unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine in the third degree, a class D felony; unlawful disposal of methamphetamine laboratory material, a class E felony; and criminal possession of precursors of methamphetamine, a class E felony.
McBride said, “This was obviously great work by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies. This person was developed as a suspect for providing meth to residents of Chenango County.”
Pierce was arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court Thursday evening. He was remanded to the county jail on $50,000 bail.
“I would like to thank all the law enforcement agencies for working together to find those committing crimes, and for quickly and effectively getting them off the streets,” said McBride.
Authorities say additional charges are pending, and that the CCSO worked closely with Chenango County District Attorney throughout the investigation.
“We will continue the war on illegal drugs, its users and dealers which includes those people responsible for manufacturing and disposing illegal waste. Toxins which put everyone at unnecessary risk,” said Cutting.
Pierce is to appear for his felony hearing in the Norwich Town Court Tuesday at 9 a.m.
Cutting added, “We ask for your help, if you see suspicious activity contact the Sheriff's Office at 334-2000 or anonymously through our web page, Facebook page or our mobile app for smartphones.”