Raid on SE Madras home finds C.O.’s first meth lab in years

A domestic violence call to a southeast Madras home led to a resident’s arrest and a subsequent raid Thursday that found evidence of a methamphetamine lab – the first uncovered in Central Oregon in years, and located within 1,000 feet of a school, authorities said.

Madras police responded Wednesday to the reported domestic violence incident at 516 Southeast Ponderosa Drive, said Detective Sergeant Steve Webb.

While there, they contacted resident Jeremiah Leach, 24, and found about a half-ounce of suspected meth on him, Webb said. He was taken to the Jefferson County Jail and initially lodged on charges of meth possession and delivery. He made an initial court appearance Thursday and was ordered held on $25,000 bail.

Based on information gathered by investigators, police obtained a search warrant for Leach’s home, which was served around 11:15 a.m. Thursday by police, assisted by Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies.

Nearby schools were placed in “lockout” as a precaution for about 10 minutes while the warrant was served, Webb said.

Authorities found a suspected meth manufacturing operation, with various chemicals and equipment used to make the drug. Members of the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team trained in processing that type of chemical lab responded and could be seen in protective hazardous materials suits processing the evidence.

As a result of the raid, Leach also has been charged with manufacturing methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school and his bail was increased to $60,000.

Webb said the home has been posted as unfit for use due to illegal drug manufacture. Anyone entering the home is subject to arrest for first-degree criminal trespass, he added.

Lt. Ken Mannix of the CODE Team confirmed it has been years since a meth lab was found in Central Oregon. It used to be fairly frequent, until Oregon and other states banned over-the-counter sales of cold and allergy medicine containing pseudoephedrine, a key precursor chemical ingredient for manufacturing meth.

Since then, officials said, much of meth manufacturing shifted south of the border to so-called “super labs” in Mexico.

A suspected meth lab was found at a northeast Bend home in December 2013 and was believed to have been the first found in the area in over a decade.