By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Two individuals were arrested in Nephi on federal
charges for possession of meth with the intent to distribute
it and for possession of a meth lab.
Arrested at the scene were Laurie Goff and Mike
Norlander, both of Ely, Nevada.
The two were in their late 40s.
The lab and two suspects were found at a local motel,
Roberta's Cove, said Shane Johnson, Narcotics Task Force
Detective with Nephi City Police Department and a member of
the Juab County Drug Enforcement Task Force.
"We are charging the couple federally," said
Johnson.
The pair were indited for manufacturing and possessing
a meth lab which is a first degree felony and for possession
of a controlled substance with intent to distribute in a
drug-free zone which is also a first degree felony.
Similar charges are still pending in Nevada but Goff
and Norlander will face the charges in Utah first.
They were taken to Salt Lake to the federal facility
on Saturday, Oct. 16 and were booked into the facility on
the charges by U.S. Marshals.
"The East Nevada officers knew the couple had some
kind of family ties to some Nephi residents," said
Johnson.
Juab County Deputy Justin Kimball put out the
information when contacted by the East Nevada Task Force on
Thursday, Oct. 14. Local officers were asked to look for two
people, a man and a woman, who were wanted on warrants in
Nevada. At that time, officers began watching for the
couple.
The two had left Nevada unexpectedly and law
enforcement officers there were unable to serve the
warrants.
"Our graveyard officer spotted a car with Nevada
plates around the residence of the family the suspects were
reportedly related to," said Johnson.
On Friday, Oct. 15, he said, a couple of cars with
Nevada license plates were located at Nebo Auto which were
connected to the couple. It was discovered, at that time,
that the couple were living at Roberta's Cove.
"About 6 p.m., Officer Wes Dudley, Deputy Craig Ryan
and myself went to Roberta's cove and checked with the
manager there," said Johnson.
It was confirmed that the couple was living at the
motel. The officers then went to the motel room to arrest
the couple on the two warrants from Nevada.
"They were hesitant to come to the door, but they
did," he said.
As the pair were being arrested, a lab was noticed
inside the room. In order to assure officer safety, the room
was checked and the glassware was obvious.
Goff and Norlander were taken to Juab County Jail and
the motel room was secured. Dudley stayed behind to make
certain the room stayed secure.
Johnson then checked with the State Health Department
and gave a report to Bruce Hall, county public health
director. He said that the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency)
Metro Task Force have a 24-hour lab team which, when called,
began getting a team together to travel to Nephi.
Detective Johnson went back to the motel with Deputy
Kimball.
While Johnson and Kimball waited for the DEA team,
Johnson typed off a search warrant and affidavit on his
laptop computer.
The county attorney and county judge were also
contacted and gave officers the authorization to conduct a
search of the motel room. Even though officers saw the lab
and had a right to be in the room, they still played it safe
and got authorization to go into the room.
"DEA officers arrived about 9 p.m.," said Johnson.
"They brought five officers, a lab truck and spot lights
with them."
An officer dressed in a chem suit and protective gear
went into the room and brought out one piece of the lab at a
time. The meth was also brought out and tested. As the tests
were conducted, the samples were kept and the remains of the
lab and equipment were placed in a pile of waste.
When the testing was complete, the remains of the lab
and equipment were taken away by the DEA officers.
"We also seized a 1990 F350 pickup truck," said
Johnson.
It took until 2 a.m. to complete the testing, he
said.
Goff and Norlander were interviewed at 2:30 a.m. and
admitted to both possession of meth and of to operating a
meth lab.
"In the interview, they said they had cooked the meth
someplace else and had brought it back to the motel where
they were in the process of cleaning the oil," said Johnson.
"There were a lot of chemicals and a lot of meth oil in the
room."
There are just a few state-certified companies who
clean up such hazardous waste. Such trained personnel are
called to the scene by the owner of the property where the
lab was found.
Once the expensive cleaning is complete and the room
is certified clean, Hall is notified by the individuals who
did the clean-up. He then determines that the room can be
used by the public once again.
Until that process is complete, said Johnson, the room
at the motel cannot be used.
"This is the first meth lab we have shutdown in Nephi
in a couple of years," said Johnson.
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