2 men charged with meth manufacturing in Newton Falls

Staff report

NEWTON FALLS

Two men face felony drug offenses after investigators found methamphetamine byproducts in a garbage container behind a West Broad Street business.

Raymond Grimes, 48, of Bridge Street, and David Reed, 25, of Newton Drive, are charged with felony illegal manufacture of drugs and are expected to be arraigned today in Newton Falls Municipal Court.

The Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force and Newton Falls Police Department arrested the two Tuesday after observing them dumping a bag of chemicals into the receptacle, which was at Faces Lounge.

Also included in the bag were various items used in the drug’s manufacture such as a previously used plastic bottle, plastic tubing, battery, cold packs and coffee filters.

Investigators say Faces Lounge is not suspected of any wrongdoing in the matter. The arrests capped a six-week TAG investigation.

The Trumbull County HazMat Team along with other personnel responded to the receptacle to neutralize the chemicals. Investigators also evacuated people from four apartments on Bridge Street where Grimes lived.

The evacuation lasted about 90 minutes, until chemicals and drug-related materials could be removed and rendered safe there, TAG said. Investigators found suspected meth oil, muriatic acid, lye, plastic tubing and drug paraphernalia there, according to a TAG news release.

TAG is a multicounty specialty crimes unit that focuses investigations on drug traffickers, firearm traffickers, gangs and homeland security.