REYNOLDSVILLE BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) — A Jefferson County man is behind bars after police found a drug lab in the basement of his residence following a routine probation check.
Court records show the Reynoldsville Borough Police Department filed criminal charges against Steven James Shaffer, 49, of Reynoldsville, in District Judge David B. Inzana’s office on Tuesday, April 16.
According to a criminal complaint, on February 1, 2024, Reynoldsville Borough Police Chief Tammy Murray was contacted by Jefferson County Adult Probation to assist at a residence on Brown Street, where Steven James Shaffer resides, for weapons and drug violations.
Shaffer is on adult probation in Jefferson County, the complaint states.
Probation relayed they arrived on scene, knocked on the front door, and announced “probation.” An officer could hear an individual coughing inside the residence, and shortly after the knock, Shaffer opened the door. Probation asked if they could come in and told Shaffer they needed to get a urine sample from him. Shaffer asked them to remain outside while he secured his cats. He was advised probation was going in with him, and as they entered the residence and followed Shaffer into the living room area, Shaffer quickly grabbed an item from the coffee table and placed it underneath out of sight, the complaint indicates.
At that time, Shaffer was detained for officer safety and removed from the living room. While being cuffed, Shaffer was asked if there were any firearms in the residence. He admitted to having “a few guns” in the residence, an AR-15 and a .22 Mag revolver, both loaded, the complaint notes.
Shaffer was escorted outside the residence to the probation vehicle as officers began to clear the residence. While clearing the basement, officers noticed a strong chemical smell. The officers then found a jug with a yellow liquid that was “bubbling,” as well as Drain-o, acetone, and naphtha, according to the complaint.
The probation officers exited the residence and contacted the Reynoldsville Borough Police and State Police (PSP). While waiting on backup to arrive, Shaffer made the comment he had enough C4 in the basement to blow up the house, the complaint states.
The PSP Hazardous Device Disposal Unit was subsequently dispatched to the scene and advised the scene was safe and there were no explosives inside, the complaint continues.
Probation officers continued the search of Shaffer’s residence. The following items were seized:
– A total of nine firearms, including an AR-15 assault rifle with an unlawful suppressor
– Thousands of rounds of various ammunition
– 12.8 grams of Methamphetamine
– 9.6 grams of psilocybin mushrooms
– 36 hits of acid
– 5.3 grams of cocaine
– 10 Ziploc baggies and a plastic container of a yellowish powder substance (later determined to be Dimethyltryptamine, DMT)
– 17 Amphetamine pills
– Five Clonazepam pills
– 72.7 grams of Marijuana
– scales
– Ziploc baggies used for packaging
– brass knuckles
– several items of drug paraphernalia
– $755,00 in cash
Shaffer was transported from the scene to the Jefferson County Jail where he remains, the complaint says.
According to the complaint, Shaffer is a person prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The day after the above search, police determined the basement was an active Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) laboratory. It was subsequently dismantled by the PSP Clandestine Team. Beforehand, a search warrant was executed in the basement, which led to the seizure of the following items:
– Five electric grinders with red/brown residue;
– Three containers of lye;
– Three metal containers of Naphtha;
– Two containers of acetone;
– Clear Jars labeled with various chemicals;
– 12 Jars with a bilayer of red/brown liquid;
– Eight jars with a yellowish liquid;
– A borne of clear liquid labeled N-Heptane;
– Coffee filter with red/brown residue;
– Two notebooks containing detailed lab notes including numerous dates and names of different extractions, notes on how to clean DMT, websites where root bark can be purchased, and documented personal experiences of taking DMT;
– Containers of suspected finished DMT;
– Two glass pie plates with yellowish crystals, suspected DMT;
– One bottle of vinegar;
– Shot glasses with yellow solid suspected DMT;
– One glass jar labeled “acetone used;”
– Two containers of brown/yellow solid, suspected DMT.
These items, along with a container and 10 baggies of suspected DMT, were seized by probation and transported to the Crime Laboratory to be analyzed. A lab report indicated the items that were analyzed represented the various steps of the extraction process, from the starting material to the finished product. The presence of these items, and the steps taken with them, indicates the extraction or manufacture of dimethyltryptamine (DMT) with a probability of 99%, according to the complaint.
The items seized from the extraction process contained approximately 14.3 pounds of dimethyltryptamine, a hallucinogen, and approximately 283 grams of methamphetamine, the complaint indicates.
Shaffer was charged with the following:
– Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony (six counts)
– Person Not To Possess/Use Firearm – Incompetent Felony 2 (nine counts)
– Int Poss Contr Subst By Per Not Reg, Misdemeanor (seven counts)
– Poss Of Marijuana, Misdemeanor
– Use/Poss Of Drug Paraph, Misdemeanor (20 counts)
– Make Repairs/Sell/Etc Offens Weap, Misdemeanor 1 (two counts)
– Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2 (11 counts)
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 14, at 11:45 a.m. with Judge Inzana presiding.