CLEARFIELD – All charges were held for court against a Clearfield man, who has been accused of operating a methamphetamine lab at his apartment, by Magisterial District Judge Richard Ireland after a preliminary hearing Wednesday at the Clearfield County Jail.
Mark Charles Hackett, 53, of Clearfield has been charged with possession of red phosphorous with intent to manufacture a controlled substance; risking catastrophe; criminal attempt/manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver; operating a methamphetamine lab; and deposits, stores, disposes of chemical waste.
District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr. presented the case on behalf of the commonwealth. Hackett was represented at the hearing by defense attorney Gary Allen Knaresboro, Esq. of DuBois. The charges against Hackett stem from a joint investigation involving the Attorney General’s Office and the Clearfield County Drug Task Force.
Parole Agent Keith Summerson testified first for the commonwealth. He said that on Oct. 6, 2014, he learned that an informant was expected to provide information about Hackett allegedly manufacturing methamphetamine. He was the parole agent assigned to supervise Hackett and he proceeded to the Clearfield police station to observe a video transmission of an interview with the informant.
According to Summerson, the informant said that Hackett was “cooking” methamphetamine and in possession of its precursors in a black backpack at his apartment. Upon the completion of the interview, he contacted his supervisor who directed him to search for a parole violation at Hackett’s apartment at 501 E. Market St., which is at the Leonard Grade Complex. Summerson requested that Officer Jake Rhymestine provide security during the search.
Upon arrival Summerson detained Hackett and placed him in the kitchen area. Rhymestine maintained security of Hackett while Summerson and another agent searched the apartment. Upon moving a ceiling tile in the kitchen, Summerson said they located a black backpack.
Upon searching the backpack, Summerson said they found items, such as a plastic bottle containing battery shavings and a plastic bag with a white-beaded substance. Summerson said they also located a sodastream bottle, which is used to contain ingredients to manufacture methamphetamine, and a Coleman fuel container.
Based upon experience, Summerson believed the items were precursors for the manufacture of methamphetamine.
Rhymestine testified that during the parole agents’ search, he maintained security of Hackett. Due to the dangers associated with the located items, he said it created concern for other tenants of the Leonard Grade Complex. Rhymestine said that he assisted with the evacuation and then security of the complex while the Pennsylvania State Police Clandestine Lab Team seized methamphetamine-related items from Hackett’s apartment.
The complex consists of nine apartments with approximately eight tenants and two businesses, including Life Skills programs and a karate studio for both children and adults. Additionally, authorities evacuated seven surrounding residences due to the inherent dangers that exist with the manufacture of methamphetamine, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
A narcotics agent with the AG’s Office responded Oct. 6, 2014 to assist with the investigation of Hackett. He interviewed Hackett, who admitted to using the items, which were contained within the backpack, in order to attempt to manufacture methamphetamine. The agent said these items were transferred for laboratory analysis, which confirmed their consistency with the “one-pot” method for manufacturing methamphetamine.
For the defense, Knaresboro called the informant who had alleged to police that Hackett was manufacturing methamphetamine. The informant said that Hackett had solicited them to purchase precursors for the manufacture of methamphetamine, but they didn’t purchase anything for him.
The informant said they had taken pictures of the methamphetamine-related items, which were inside a bedroom closet, at Hackett’s apartment and showed them to police. But after the pictures were taken, the informant said that Hackett put the backpack above the ceiling tiles in the kitchen area in order to better conceal it.