Suspected meth lab found in Rutland apartment

RUTLAND, Vt. -

A tip led police to a possible meth lab. Authorities closed a Rutland street for hours as hazmat teams moved in.

Police say they were following a tip from a watchdog source that a man had purchased an item at the local Wal-Mart that is a part of the meth-making process. They say that tip paid off.

Just after 4 a.m. Thursday, residents of 162 State Street in Rutland were finally allowed to return to their apartments. Police kept them at bay for nearly 10 hours until the coast was clear. Seven people live at the address. Multiple emergency teams responded to the potentially dangerous scene.

Det. Sgt. David LaChance says at around 5 p.m. Wednesday, he received information from a watchdog site that a person had purchased Sudafed from their pharmacy. LaChance says Sudafed can be used to make methamphetamine and its purchase must be reported.

Based on that information we responded to his address provided to us that was 162 State Street in the city here to investigate that, said LaChance.

Police located Kenneth Hewitt, 29, at the home. While questioning him, LaChance says they found materials consistent with the one pot method of making meth which is becoming more common.

Once we realized, after speaking with him, that it was manufactured methamphetamine we notified the proper authorities. Which it s a very dangerous situation. It s a hazmat situation, said LaChance.

Police evacuated the residence and teams from Rutland City Fire Department, Vermont State Clandestine Laboratory Team, state police bomb squad and state hazmat evaluated the situation. LaChance says a thorough investigation and after evidence was collected the scene was cleared and deemed safe just after 4 a.m.

LaChance says that this is one of the first meth-related incidents Rutland has dealt with in a while.

We ve always, for years and years, throughout my training in drug investigations, you know you go through trainings with methamphetamines and when people talk about other parts of the country people talk about problems that they had. And we hadn t seen that. And we re always saying knock on wood it s not here. Because once that gets here you know, it s a bad, bad, bad situation, said LaChance.

LaChance says Hewitt was released on a citation to appear in court at the end of August. He says Hewitt could face a charge of manufacturing methamphetamine which could mean a max sentence of 20 years. But that all depends on how the investigation plays out.