Niles men charged in meth bust
Published 11:02 pm Thursday, July 22, 2010
Timothy Clair Smith Jr.
Two Niles men have been charged following a several month-long investigation by narcotics officers into suspected methamphetamine manufacturing.
The Niles Police Department’s Special Response Team executed a search warrant Wednesday at about 8 p.m. at a residence located at 902 Oak Street, Niles. Subjects located included Timothy Clair Smith Jr., Ambrosia Foreman and Calvin Lee Haff, all who reside at the residence. A 3-year-old child was also located inside the residence.
Evidence located during the search included meth, marijuana and items to suggest that the manufacturing of meth had taken place at the residence as recent as that day. Multiple discarded meth labs were located inside the residence, as well as outside in a shed on the property. Haff attempted to flee from the scene but was apprehended by officers after a short foot pursuit.
Smith is charged with controlled substance, operating/maintaining a lab involving meth, second offense; controlled substance, possession of meth, second offense; and controlled substance, delivery/manufacturing marijuana, second offense. Smith was convicted May 19, 2009 on a delivery/manufacturing meth charge, which was also investigated by the Niles Police Department. He is currently on parole for that charge. Bond was set at $15,000 cash/surety.
Calvin Lee Haff
Haff is charged with controlled substance, operating/maintaining a lab involving meth, second offense. Haff was convicted Dec. 28, 2007 on a charge of possession of marijuana. Bond was set at $10,000 cash/surety.
Both subjects were arraigned on the listed charges Thursday afternoon in the 5th District Court in Niles, and were lodged in the Berrien County Jail in lieu of bond.
Charges may be sought for additional subjects involved.
The Niles City Police Department was assisted by members of the Berrien County Narcotics Unit.
All lab and hazardous waste was removed from the residence by Drug and Laboratory Disposal Inc., a Drug Enforcement Administration-certified company out of Plainwell Mich. used for the removal and disposal of hazardous meth waste.
