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2 charged with buying meth-making ingredient
By Elise Franco
Canfield
Two out-of-towners remain in jail after they were arrested on charges of buying medications used in the production of methamphetamine.
Michael Coffey, 21, and Heather Shoffner, 31, both of Indianapolis, were charged Tuesday with illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs.
Canfield assistant Chief Scott Weamer said a confidential source called the police department Tuesday with information that two people were buying Sudafed, a medication commonly used to make methamphetamine, from several pharmacies throughout Mahoning County, including Giant Eagle on East Main Street in Canfield.
“It struck the caller as odd and raised some red flags,” Weamer said. “We were able to do some surveillance. ... When the vehicle came into Canfield, we initiated a traffic stop.”
He said Coffey and Shoffner were arraigned Wednesday in Mahoning County Area Court in Canfield and are scheduled for a pretrial hearing at 9:30 a.m. today.
The pair remain in Mahoning County jail on $250,000 bond, according to court records.
Weamer said the Mahoning County Drug Task Force has taken over the investigation.
“At the very initial stages of this investigation, it appears to be a very organized operation to obtain chemicals used to make meth,” he said. “The task force is working to identify more people involved.”