25th Meth Lab Bust by MDEA This Year

The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency announces the arrest of two men in Lewiston for manufacturing Methamphetamine.

35-year-old Raymond Nelson and 32-year-old Merlin Ellingwood, both from Lewiston were arrested and both charged with Unlawful Operation of a Methamphetamine Laboratory, Class B. Nelson also goes by the name of Kent Lathrop, said Maine Dept. of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland.

Sunday evening, agents from the MDEA Western District Task Force arrested the two at an apartment they were staying in at 197 Bartlett Street in  Lewiston. A search of the apartment found a ”One Pot” meth lab and other items used to manufacture methamphetamine, according to MCausland.

Due to the extremely dangerous nature of methamphetamine manufacturing, members of the MDEA Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Team were utilized to seize the evidence with the Maine State Department of Environmental Protection assisting at the scene to safely dispose of the items.

Nelson and Ellingwood were arrested and transported to the Androscoggin County Jail. Bail was set for Nelson at $10,000 cash. Ellingwood’s bail was set at $500 cash.

Agents and Lewiston Police had received information that the two men have been making meth at different locations throughout the Lewiston area, McCausland said. The renter of the apartment was not present at the time of the arrests. The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are expected.

This makes 25 meth lab responses by MDEA this year.