KNOX, Pa. (EYT) — Three more local men are facing felony drug charges following a CNET (Clarion County Narcotics Enforcement Team) investigation on the production of methamphetamine.
Court documents indicate CNET filed criminal charges against 53-year-old Kurt Matthew Huefner, of Knox; 47-year-old Jayme Allen Deitz, of Oil City; and 22-year-old Levi William Zacherl, of Emlenton.
According to a criminal complaint, on October 29, 2017, a Pennsylvania State Trooper stopped a vehicle which resulted in a DUI arrest. The passenger in the vehicle was identified as Kurt Matthew Huefner. The driver of the vehicle admitted to smoking methamphetamine and using Suboxone prior to the traffic stop, and the driver also admitted to using a fold of methamphetamine with Huefner.
Kurt Huefner
CNET has, on two occasions in the past, seized “one pot” methamphetamine labs on the property of Huefner, located on State Route 338 in Knox. At the time of the traffic stop, the trooper continued to interview the driver who related that while at Huefner’s residence, he observed Jayme Allen Deitz and Levi William Zacherl inside Huefner’s residence. Both Deitz and Zacherl had pending warrants for their arrests at the time.
Jayme Deitz
Levi Zacherl
On October 30, 2017, the trooper obtained a warrant to search Huefner’s property for Deitz and Zacherl. Law enforcement officers served the search warrant and both Deitz and Zacherl were located in the living room of the residence, and they were taken into custody. While taking both subjects into custody, one of the officers observed a short straw in the living room which had residue inside the straw which is consistent with drug-related paraphernalia.
The owner of the property, Kurt Huefner, was located outside the residence inside an outbuilding. An officer spoke to Huefner, and he admitted that he had been using methamphetamine, but said he “doesn’t cook meth.” Huefner stated that Zacherl cooks the meth and provides it to him. Huefner also related that he was “glad this happened” because he could not get Zacherl and Deitz to leave his house.
Huefner gave the officers written consent to search his property for items related to drug activity. One of the officers asked Huefner where the items used to manufacture the methamphetamine was kept (fuel, lye, batteries, etc.), and Huefner said that Zacherl would keep items in a dresser drawer in the enclosed entryway into the residence.
Officers located what appeared to be spent one-pot bottles of methamphetamine dumped on the property in a wooded area behind the residence.
Detective William Peck IV contacted the Pennsylvania State Police Clandestine Lab Response Team to respond to the scene to conduct a search and seize any evidence located on the property. They seized multiple items including:
– an electric grinder with white residue, located in the kitchen
– glass with white residue, located in the kitchen
– one pound container of sea salt, located in the kitchen
– tubing, funnel, pipe cutter, pliers, and coffee filters, located in the kitchen
– assorted paraphernalia (two pipes, seven straws, contact case, plastic container), located throughout the residence
– three cellular phones and two phone chargers
– indicia of Kurt M. Huefner and a known woman
– red plastic bottle with a hole in the lid, cap with tubing, and gallon jug, located in the basement
– numerous syringes, located in various locations throughout the residence
– Pepsi bottle with clear liquid, located in the garage
– funnel with white residue, located in the garage
– casing for AAA Energizer Ultimate Lithium battery, located in the garage
– five plastic bottles/pieces tested for basic pH, located behind the garage
– three acid generator bottles/pieces, located behind the garage
– two battery casing pieces, size AA, one market Energizer Ultimate Lithium, located behind the garage
Both Deitz and Zacherl were transported from the scene and placed in the Clarion County Jail on pending warrants.
On December 12, CNET member William Peck IV interviewed Anthony Knight at the Clarion County Jail regarding a pending methamphetamine investigation. Detective Peck told Knight he was seeking information about methamphetamine activity at a residence on State Route 338 in Beaver Township.
Knight said a couple of days before he was arrested, he drove Jayme Deitz from the Beaver Township residence to a trailer near a business on State Route 66 and picked up Shawn McCleary. He said that he drove McCleary and Deitz to Walmart in Clarion where McCleary purchased a box of Sudafed pills and gave them to Deitz. Knight said he then drove McCleary back to his residence and dropped him off. Detective Peck asked Knight if he knew why McCleary would buy the box for Deitz, and he stated that “after the meth was cooked, McCleary would be given a portion in return for buying the box.”
On December 19, Detective Peck interviewed Deitz at the Clarion County Jail. Deitz said that he paid Huefner $500.00 to stay at his residence and owed him another $500.00 in rent at the beginning of November.
Detective Peck asked Deitz how often methamphetamine was being made at the location, and he replied, “almost every day.” Deitz said that Zacherl was staying there, and he was cooking meth just about every day in the garage behind the house. Deitz said in the approximately 45 days he had been staying there, methamphetamine was cooked approximately 30 to 40 times.
Detective Peck asked Deitz about Huefner’s involvement, and Deitz told him Huefner was not involved in the cooking, only the clean-up. Deitz said Zacherl was in charge of the supplies, but Huefner would put them away after Zacherl cooked a batch of meth. Deitz also said Huefner would usually get one-third of the meth after Zacherl cooked it for letting him do it on the property and letting Zacherl stay at the house. Deitz stated that he usually did not assist Zacherl in the cooking process, but at times would take the finished product in a coffee filter into the house and place it under a light to dry.
Based on the investigation, the following charges were filed against Huefner, Deitz, and Zacherl on Wednesday, March 14, in Magisterial District Judge Amy Long Turk’s office:
– Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
– Conspiracy — Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
– Operating a Methamphetamine lab, Felony 2
– Conspiracy — Operating a Methamphetamine Lab, Felony 2
– Deposits, Stores, Disposes Chemical Waste
– Conspiracy — Deposits, Stores, Disposes Chemical Waste
– Knowingly Possessing Ephedrine, Misdemeanor
– Intentional Possession Controlled Substance By Person Not Registered, Misdemeanor
– Use/Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor
All three men are awaiting preliminary hearings.
McCleary was arraigned on Thursday, March 8, in Judge Turk’s office on the following charges:
– Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
– Knowingly Possessing Ephedrine, Misdemeanor
Unable to post $5,000.00 cash bail, McCleary was lodged in the Clarion County Jail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20, with Judge Turk presiding.
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