Randal Lee Kephart

WARSAW — Local man gets busted for bathroom meth lab.

Randal Lee Kephart, 26, 3160 N. Stoneburner Road, Warsaw, is being charged with a level 5 felony of dealing methamphetamine, possession of meth, a level 6 felony, and possession of two or more chemical reagents or precursors with intent to manufacture a controlled substance, a level 6 felony.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, on June 13, Kosciusko County Probation Officer Kelly Krugman received information that Kephart was using meth at his residence and that he had cooked meth sometime between Sunday, June 12, and Monday morning, June 13. Krugman was informed Kephart was using the red and black shed next to his house to manufacture meth and he kept it locked with a padlock.

Krugman, Warsaw Detective Sgt. RJ Nethaway and Indiana State Police Officer Luke Waikel arrived at Kephart’s residence and knocked on the door, but no one answered. After several minutes Kephart appeared out of a neighboring house and Krugman informed him she was going to conduct a home check. She asked Nethaway and Waikel to assist in the check.

In the residence, officers found an altered light bulb with burn marks on one side in the bathroom. They also found three plastic bags that contained a white residue and a plastic straw, a plastic bag containing a metal scale, a black smoking device, a multicolored smoking device and a metal grinder.

The white residue in the plastic bags were field-tested and proved positive for meth, a schedule II controlled substance.

In Kephart’s living room, officers found paraphernalia aiding in the preparation of “cooking” meth and Kephart told Nethaway there was a bag of meth precursors under the love seat in his living room. The officer found several children’s toys in the living room and observed that the bag of precursors was easily accessible to any child.

In the dumpster outside the residence more items that contribute in manufacturing meth were found, along with a receipt for Mucinex and an empty pseudoephedrine blister pack. Officers also found a bag containing a plastic bottle with a brown, crystal sludge and a clear plastic tube exiting the lid and emitting a white smoke and a plastic bottle with a red lid containing a damp green, beaded substance that was under pressure.

Officers identified the plastic bottle with the tubing in the lid as an HCL generator that is used in the final stages in the production of meth. The other bottle containing the green, beaded substance was identified as a spent, one-pot meth lab.

In the bag where the one-pot lab was found, officers also found an empty beer case that was the same type of beer Kephart admitted to drinking.

Waikel reported his past training and experience helped him to identify all the items found were chemical reagents and/or precursors used to manufacture meth. Kephart admitted the items in the bathroom were his and admitted to smoking meth. He also admitted the previous night a male came to his residence and he provided him with chemical reagents with the knowledge that the male would “cook” meth.

Kephart claimed the man left his house to manufacture the meth and then brought back the finished product, where Kephart and the male both smoked it.

Kephart is being held on a surety and cash bond of $10,250.