MENTOR, OH -- A man is accused of not just stealing the ingredients to make methamphetamine from a in Mentor, but also trying to make the meth in the store.
A security guard spotted James Richardson, 37, of Perry, walking around the store about 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
He put drain cleaner, camp fuel and Lime Out stain remover in his shopping cart, all of which are used in the production of meth, Mentor Police Lt. Ken Zbiegien said.
Then Richardson grabbed a salt shaker and poured some of each of the products he had taken into it. Then he began shaking it, Zbiegien said.
Authorities call this the shake-and-bake or one-pot method, which involves combining the ingredients in a single sealed container and shaking it to increase the pressure.
Richardson shook the shaker for awhile and then left it on a store shelf, Zbiegien said.
Then he began to walk toward the exit with his chemicals; but, by this point, police had been called and officers stopped him.
When police and Lake County Narcotics agents looked into the shaker, it still had the meth in it, Zbiegien said.
Mentor firefighters cordoned portions of the store because Richardson had spilled some of his chemicals while making the meth, Zbiegien said.
Richardson initially told police that he needed the products for use at home. Zbiegien added that Richardson was also jittery while talking to officers.
Richardson has gotten in trouble for both drugs and specifically meth before.
He has five previous convictions for felony drug possession and one more for manufacturing meth, Zbiegien said.
Police charged Richardson with two counts of illegal assembly of manufacturing meth and a count of theft.
He was arraigned Monday morning in . Judge John Trebets set his bond at $75,000, which was not posted.
Richardson's next court hearing is set for June 25.
I have had many friends who were addicted to drugs, and they all ended up doing themselves and all of their friends a favor, when they committed suicide. Some left notes saying they were sorry for all of the trouble they had caused. Others just said good-bye. Rehab only works for the ones who really want to quit, and many of those fail as well. One has to really understand the physical and psychological draw or addiction these drugs cause a person. The majority never can escape from these drugs, except in death.
Another thing...how the heck they let this "white" criminal free???? How many times??? This is straight crazy!!! Come on America, if you can see how blatantly racist this legal system is you are freakin' nuts! To be set free so many times you are comfortable making meth in walmart? The article says one thing but I bet you he'll be out before you know it! Within 3-5 months! Disgusting!
Another thing...how the heck they let this "white" criminal free???? How many times??? This is straight crazy!!! Come on America, if you can see how blatantly racist this legal system is you are freakin' nuts! To be set free so many times you are comfortable making meth in walmart? The article says one thing but I bet you he'll be out before you know it! Within 3-5 months! Disgusting!
Is this the launch of forcing people to consider drug use as main stream acceptable? Sorry, I have seen way too many Grannies who have had all their personal belongings "disappear" or worse, when her grandson the "very nice boy" comes to visit, to allow myself to be party to this warped thinking. Drug addicts (especially harder drugs) will rob you blind, even if they love you. This does not even begin to address what they do to their own children. Contrary to the pop-culture claims, drug use is NOT a victimless crime!
(However, I think it's an erroneous and sensationalistic argument to suggest a child would imitate this man. I do not believe a child will read the story -- which is about a man whose life has ostensibly been destroyed by drugs -- and think, "Good, now I know how to make meth." And if a child does think that, then they have been failed by more people than me.)