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Alleged meth maker to stand trial

2 min read
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The Canonsburg man accused of cooking suspected crystal methamphetamine in his Franklin Avenue apartment was ordered Wednesday to stand trial.

Jesse G. Lewandowski, 31, was arrested July 15 after the Washington County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force, state police clandestine laboratory team and Canonsburg police served a search warrant at his apartment at 514 Franklin Ave.

Task force Detective Matthew Tharp testified they forced their way into the apartment after no one responded to knocking. Lewandowski and a woman were found in the back bedroom of the apartment.

“Various items indicating he was using the one-pot method of cooking were found,” Tharp testified. “He was using an empty sports drink bottle as the container for the ingredients for the meth.”

Detectives said they found an active “one-pot cook” on the rear porch of the apartment. There was no outside access to the porch, according to court documents. At the time of Lewandowski’s arrest, detectives indicated the batch appeared to be mid-stage in the cooking process. A corporal with the clandestine lab unit told detectives methamphetamine was in the bottle.

Tharp said several items used in the meth cooking process were confiscated, including a professional drain cleaner, denatured alcohol, acetone, household lye, suspected ammonia nitrate and batteries.

Tharp said Canonsburg Volunteer Fire Department assisted at the scene.

The court documents filed against Lewandowski indicate the manufacture of methamphetamine is dangerous, with the potential for explosion and fire.

District Judge David Mark ordered Lewandowski held on charges of manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of ammonium nitrate, operating a methamphetamine lab, risking a catastrophe and other charges. Lewandowski, who had been in a state prison on a state parole violation since his arrest, is being held on $100,000 bond in Washington County jail on the drug-related charges. He will be formally arraigned Nov. 12.

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