Caledonia Argus

Meth lab bust yields five arrests

Posted: 9/23/03

By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter

In an area where pumpkins are sold on the honor system and doors are left unlocked, a methamphetamine lab was discovered down the road from Perfect View Drive on Hwy. 23 a few miles outside of Eitzen by Houston County Sheriffís deputies.

The lab was found in the trailer house of Tod Spencer Weston, 39, of 22463 County Rd. 23 Eitzen, Minnesota.

At approximately 5:30 p.m. on Friday, September 19, Houston County deputies went to the Weston home to serve an arrest warrant.

According to the complaint, while Weston was being taken into custody, deputies found him to be in possession of a white substance, which field tested positive for methamphetamine. He is being held at the Fillmore County Jail for felony aiding and abetting the manufacture of methamphetamine and felony possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

Levi John Jones, 19, of Harpers Ferry, IA, was at the Weston home when authorities arrived and was arrested on felony charges of aiding and abetting the manufacture of methamphetamine.

Deputies stopped a vehicle as it was leaving the Weston residence and arrested Thomas Alvin Monson, 22, of Spring Grove, for a probation violation. Authorities report that a search found Monson to be in possession of methamphetamine. He is being held in the Houston County Jail on a probation violation, felony possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree and aiding and abetting the manufacture of methamphetamine.

A passenger in the Monson vehicle, Theodore J. Hawver, 20, of Spring Grove, was also arrested and is being held in the Houston County Jail for felony aiding and abetting the manufacture of methamphetamine.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Ronnie Lee Shefelbine, 21, of Caledonia. He was arrested and is being held in the Fillmore County Jail for felony aiding and abetting manufacture of methamphetamine.

Search warrants were executed at the Weston residence, on the vehicle driven by Shefelbine and on a vehicle registered to Jones. The by-products of methamphetamine were seized along with the methamphetamine itself.

The results of the arrests were part of an ongoing investigation by the Houston County Sheriffís Department and included assistance from Olmsted, Mower, and Fillmore Counties in Minnesota and Allamakee County in Iowa. The incident remains under investigation.

Houston County Sheriff Mike Lee said, ìI consider this outstanding police work by members of my department.î

The suspects appeared in district court in Houston County before the honorable Robert Benson, Monday, September 22.

For defendants Jones, Shefelbine and Hawver, unconditional bail was set at $150,000 each and conditional bail at $75,000.

Meanwhile, unconditional bail for Weston and Monson was set at $250,000 and conditional bail at $125,000.

The conditions of release include avoidance of alcohol or other mood-altering drugs; random drug testing and avoidance of the co-defendants. They must not leave the state without permission, and will be required to sign a waiver of extradition in the event they obtain permission and leave the state.

A rule 8 hearing is set for October 6 at 11 a.m.

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