Police find meth lab while serving warrant
BROWNSTOWN — A 35-year-old Jackson County man faces a Class B felony charge of manufacturing methamphetamine after his arrest Tuesday morning.
Jonathan O. Sumpter of Brownstown was arrested around 8 a.m. after officers with Jackson County Sheriff’s Department executed a warrant at a home in the 3500 block of North Indiana 135.
Sheriff Marc Lahrman said that warrant, signed by Jackson Superior Court II Judge Bruce MacTavish, was sought by Detective Rick Blaker Jr. after he conducted an investigation and found probable cause to ask for the warrant.
During the search of the residence, officers reported they found a methamphetamine lab as well as several items of paraphernalia. The evidence was collected by county Detective Bob Lucas and Master Trooper Marty Mead with the Indiana State Police.
Besides the manufacturing methamphetamine charge, Sumpter also faces a charge of dealing in methamphetamine, also a Class B felony. He was booked into Jackson County Jail in Brownstown, where he was being held on a $50,005 bond.
Lahrman, Lt. Darin Downs, Detective Rob Henley and county officers Tom Barker, Adam Nicholson, Jeff Walters, Rick Meyer and Ben Rudolph assisted with the investigation and arrest.
According to a statewide report recently provided by the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, officers in Jackson County found 13 methamphetamine labs in 2009. That ranked the county 27th highest in the state. Jennings County ranked third in the state with 81 meth labs found in 2009.
