Tip leads to meth bust
Published 10:36 pm Monday, July 30, 2012
Submitted photo Hazardous waste generated by a meth lab at a home on Cedar Street was removed.
A Niles man is charged with drug crimes after police acted on a tip that methamphetamine was being manufactured at his home.
Dennis Burtzlaff, 48, of the 1100 block of Cedar Street, was arraigned in Niles’ Fifth District Court Friday on one court of delivery/manufacturing meth and one count of
Burtzlaff
operate/maintaining a lab involving meth.
Both are 20-year felonies.
Detectives and officers from the Niles City Police Department went to a home in the 1100 block of Cedar Street at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
A search warrant was obtained, and approximately 20 discarded “one-pot” meth labs were discovered throughout the house.
Officers and fire department personnel utilizing personal protective equipment entered the house to gather evidence and remove hazardous waste generated from the meth labs.
A disposal agency from Plainwell was called to the scene to collect approximately 50 pounds of hazardous waste.
Burtzlaff was lodged in the Berrien County Jail in lieu of a $20,000 bond.
