Man indicted on drug charges

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

A township man was secretly indicted after police said they found an old methamphetamine lab in his home and will be in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court next week on the charges.

Howard T. McCreary, 47, of South Main Street, was secretly indicted last Thursday on charges of illegal manufacture of drugs, a second-degree felony; and illegal possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a third-degree felony. He will be in Mahoning County Common Pleas court on those charges 9 a.m. Monday.

Austintown police arrested him Friday on the charges.

The Mahoning Valley Drug Task Force searched McCreary’s home Aug. 26, when a juvenile and Raymond Betts were arrested after entering the home while McCreary was incarcerated in the Mahoning County jail. A police report said authorities found several items commonly used in the production and manufacture of methamphetamine as well as trash bags full of chemicals and products also used to make the drug.

One-pot vessels were found in the home, a total of 15, which are used to make methamphetamine.

Betts, 32, of North Roanoke Avenue, pleaded guilty to criminal trespass, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, Sept. 2 in Mahoning County Area Court in Austintown. He had originally been arrested on first-degree felony burglary, but court officials said nothing was missing and they could not prove his purpose for being in the home.

Betts was sentenced to 15 days in the jail, with credit for seven days served as of Sept. 2, and online jail records said he was expected to be released today.