Woman pleads to drug-making charges

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

An Ellwood City, Pa., woman pleaded guilty this week to charges that she had materials to make drugs.

April Squires, 32, entered a guilty plea to a charge of possession of chemicals to make or manufacture drugs.

The plea was filed Friday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

According to the plea, Squires faces a sentence of up to three years in prison.

She was one of four people arrested in a car by Boardman police in March on U.S. Route 224 where materials that could be used to make methamphetamine were found.

According to reports, police were called to the area by employees of a drugstore who saw a car with several people inside drive around their parking lot repeatedly.

Police responded, spotted the car and pulled it over for making an improper turn.

The driver of the car admitted that there were chemicals in the car to make methamphetamine, reports said.

Police found a box of Sudafed tablets in the car, a bottle of lighter fluid, a Febreze aerosol can, a bottle of Propel water, a bottle of pure lye, coffee filters, one hammer, three measuring cups, a small funnel, two lithium batteries, a clear plastic tube with a metal twist cap and a clear plastic vial with suspected lye on it.

A small plastic cup also was found with suspected methamphetamine on the inside.

Also in the vehicle, police found two .300 Winchester magnum rifle cartridges and a single 12-gauge shell.

Court records were not clear on when a sentencing hearing will take place in the case.

A jury trial was scheduled for Monday.

Squires is being held in the county jail.