Published: November 20, 2009 09:00 am      

London man suspected in meth conspiracy

By Carl Keith Greene / Staff Writer

In London federal court Wednesday, John W. Peters, of London, waived his rights to a preliminary hearing and stipulated there is probable cause for him to answer to pending charges and appear for further court proceedings.

Peters was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal by Magistrate Judge Robert E. Weir in U.S. District Court.

According to an affidavit filed Nov. 10 by DEA agent Chris Edwards, Peters, of Dan Bowling Road in north Laurel County, has been involved in a conspiracy to make methamphetamine at least twice.

The conspiracy, Edwards said, lasted from Feb. 4, 2008, until Nov. 2, 2009.

Edwards based his presumption on two statements from a woman who said in April and June of 2008 she had bought pseudo ephedrine for Peters on at least 10 occasions.

By July 2008, Edwards said, Operation UNITE detective Brian Lewis learned that Peters was using his grandmother’s home to make meth. Lewis got a state search warrant.

The search found a wide selection of materials, equipment and chemicals used for making the drug.

On July 8, 2008, Peters made arrangements to meet with Lewis, the affidavit states, and was interviewed at the Laurel sheriff’s office.

It adds that he admitted to having made meth for “the past several years and most of the cooks were primarily for his own personal use.”

Peters reportedly told Lewis that he used between 250 to 300 pseudo ephedrine tablets to make a quarter ounce of meth.

He also said he shared evenly what meth he made with those who provided the pseudo ephedrine tablets, the affidavit states.

Peters was arrested on Nov. 2 and lodged in the Laurel County jail. He has since been turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service.