Published: January 18, 2008 10:01 am      

MV men arrested on HamCo meth charges

By PAUL LORENZ

For the Register-News

McLEANSBORO — A tip from a neighboring sheriff’s department led to the arrest of two more people in Hamilton County on methamphetamine-related charges.

Arrested around 5:50 p.m. Jan. 7 at George Smith Ag Services, in the Delafield area, were Raymond A. Harris, 42, and Larry R. Coultas, 54, both of Mt. Vernon, according to a Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department report.

Each was formally charged Jan. 8 with unlawful attempt to engage in the procurement of anhydrous ammonia, a Class 1 felony, according to Hamilton County Circuit Court records. Preliminary hearings for both men are set for 10:30 a.m. today (Thursday).

Sheriff Greg Brenner said Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department had advised that Harris and Coultas were likely to try to steal anhydrous ammonia during a certain time frame.

Chief Deputy Will Sandusky was watching Smith’s anhydrous tanks when Harris’ pickup truck pulled in, Brenner said.

Harris and Coultas are the sixth and seventh people arrested in Hamilton County on meth-related charges since Dec. 12.

“There’s probably another half dozen people on our radar,” Brenner said.

But even with the recent spate of arrests, the meth problem in Hamilton County is “so much less than it used to be,” Brenner said.

“Five years ago, we were absolutely swamped with it,” he said. “There was meth trash everywhere.

“Now it’s probably a tenth of what it used to be. It’s obviously still going on; there’s just less of it, and smaller amounts are being made.”

Harris also faces charges of meth manufacturing (less than 15 grams) and possesion of meth-manufacturing materials in Jefferson County, according to information on the Judici Web site.

He was sentenced to two years’ probation in 2004 after pleading guilty to a felony charge of possesion of between 15 and 100 grams of meth.

In 1995 in Jefferson County, Coultas was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of harassment of jurors or witnesses; in 2002, he was sentenced to five years in prison on a charge of intimidation/physical harm.

He is facing a felony charge of possession of burglary tools in a 2005 case in Jefferson County, records indicated.