Kosciusko County - Indiana State Trooper Tim Carpenter stopped a motorist yesterday afternoon for a muffler violation and as a result, discovered a driver with two active warrants, several grams of meth, and an active meth lab in the trunk of the car.
According to Trooper Carpenter, he heard a vehicle with a loud muffler on 300 North and 150 East in Warsaw. Carpenter stopped the white 1998 Chrysler car for the violation and immediately noticed a nervous driver and a strong chemical smell coming from the vehicle.
During the encounter the driver was identified as John T. Wood, 36, of Bristol. A records check showed that Wood had two active warrants out of DeKalb County for pseudoephedrine log violations. The logs are kept in order for police to track the purchase pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient used to manufacture meth. Wood was placed under arrest for the two warrants. During the inventory and impoundment of his car, troopers discovered more than 17 grams of meth in the center armrest of his vehicle along with marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and unauthorized prescription drugs. Once officers opened the trunk of the car they were hardly surprised to discover that Wood was transporting an active meth lab. Meth is typically sold one gram at a time for around $100 per gram.
Subsequently, Wood was jailed on the warrants and for possession and manufacturing methamphetamine. He was also charged with several other drug related crimes and is being held on bail in the Kosciusko County Jail before facing the warrants in DeKalb County.
Source: Indiana State Police