DUPAGE'S FIRST CRYSTAL METH LAB FOUND

Hearing about another crack cocaine arrest Friday, some police
officers joked about being shocked to find the drug in DuPage County.
When authorities announced the first-ever discovery of a laboratory in
DuPage for making methamphetamine, though, investigators seemed
genuinely taken aback.

"This is scary, folks," State's Attorney Joseph Birkett said. "This is
a signal. This lab is operating in the heart of DuPage County. It's
here."

Methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth or crank, is an extremely
dangerous and addictive drug, authorities said. It resembles large
crystals of sugar or salt and can be smoked, snorted or even injected
by needle.

It is a stimulant that causes sudden mood swings.

It has become popular elsewhere, with motorcycle gangs making it on
the West Coast, and even in Iowa and Pittsburgh, but crystal meth is a
relatively new phenomenon in the Chicago suburbs.

While occasional arrests are made for possessing small amounts,
investigators said only two or three such labs have been found in the
past year in Chicago.

"It is still rare," Birkett said. "We want to keep it that
way."

The arrests were made Thursday night in an apartment at 505 N. Taylor
Ave. in Glen Ellyn.

Charged with manufacturing the drug were Stuart Rose, 35, who lived in
the apartment, and Jeffrey J. Vladic, 29, of St. Joseph, Mich.

Rose graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
with a major in electrical engineering and a minor in chemistry,
knowledge which would be useful in making the drug, investigators said.

He also had a law degree and had practiced in California.

The two men had been up for seven days making and using the stimulant,
according to Kevin Lane, group supervisor for the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration.

The investigation was prompted by an anonymous tip. Solvents are used
to synthesize the drug, which produces an acidic smell that stands out
in a residential area.

Police found eight ounces of the drug, and enough chemicals and
material to make another 16 ounces of the substance. The total street
value of the drugs and what could have been produced was $100,000.

Using a search warrant, police also seized sophisticated lab equipment
from the apartment.

Glen Ellyn police, the DuPage Metropolitan Enforcement Group and the
federal Drug Enforcement Agency were involved in the arrest.

After a bond hearing Friday, Circuit Court Judge Cary Pierce set bond
at $1 million each for Rose and Vladic, requiring each to post
$100,000 cash to get out of jail.

If convicted, the men could face six to 30 years in prison and a fine
of up to $500,000.

Their next court date is Nov. 23.

In April, thieves cleared out stocks of cold medications from several
stores in the Fox Valley area. Because an ingredient in the medicine
is used to make crystal meth, police were concerned there might be a
lab in the area.

It was unclear, though, whether the thefts had any connection with the
lab in Glen Ellyn.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady