Three arrested in meth lab bust

A Walmart clerk alerted authorities that someone was buying ingredients to make methamphetamine and that led Middletown police to arrest three men Friday night.

Middletown police went to an apartment in the 4500 block of Roosevelt Avenue around 3:30 p.m. Friday and the owner, Mary Wallace, gave them permission to enter. Sgt. David Birk said they saw a one-pot methamphetamine lab and other drugs in plain view. The Middletown fire department was called and the 12 surrounding apartments were evacuated as a precaution, Birk said. The residents were allowed to return to their apartments about four hours later, he said.

Jeffrey Reynolds, 28, of Middletown, and David Wright, 28, of Middletown, were charged with illegal assembly of chemicals, a felony. Reynolds also was charged with drug abuse/heroin. Wright also was charged with drug paraphernalia.

William Brookins, 25, of Middletown, arrived later and walked under the police tape and into the apartment, Birk said. He also was charged with illegal assembling of chemicals.

All three appeared in Middletown Municipal Court this morning. Preliminary hearings for Brookins and Wright were set for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 14. Brookins’ bond was set at $23,000 and Wright’s was set at $63,000. Reynolds’ case was bound over to the Butler County Grand Jury. His bond is $50,000.

Birk said it’s common for those who are making meth to purchase items at different stores at different times.

He said police had been investigating the trio after the department received complaints from neighbors.