Three Arrested on Meth Charges at Hamlet Motel

MethLaw enforcement officers conducting a welfare check at a local motel arrested three people on a cache of drug charges. Deputies from the Starke County Sheriff’s Office and officials from Starke County Community Correction went to the Stay 4 Less Motel on U.S. 30 in Hamlet yesterday to check on 57-year-old Michael Campbell of Knox. When they arrived, they reportedly saw occupants of room 4 run into a bathroom and hide. The officers found Brian Back, 28, and Monica Hunt, 26, both of Plymouth, hiding in the bathroom and reportedly saw several items used to make meth in plain view. They contacted Starke Circuit Judge Kim Hall, who issued a search warrant for the room. Members of the Indiana State Police Clandestine Lab Team assisted with the search, which reportedly turned up precursors, paraphernalia and meth. Back, Hunt and Campbell are jailed on charges of possession of meth, precursors and paraphernalia, manufacturing meth and maintaining a common nuisance. Formal charges are pending.

Starke County Detectives Find Inactive Meth Lab at Knox Home

police investigation 2An investigator from the Starke County Sheriff’s Office found an inactive meth lab at a home during a follow-up stolen property investigation Monday. The owner of the home on Island View Drive in Knox agreed to a search. The detective reportedly found an inactive one-pot meth lab and precursors in the garage of the residence. Officers from the Indiana State Police Clandestine Lab Team responded and cleaned up the scene. No charges have been filed at this time, and the investigation is ongoing.