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Rayland resident jailed as county takes down meth lab in house raid

MOUNT PLEASANT — A village man is housed in the Jefferson County jail today on pending drug charges after a raid Tuesday at a house by the Jefferson County Drug Task Force.

Michael Dufranse, 42, of 861 county Road 1 is expected to be charged by the Jefferson County prosecutor today after a raid at his home by the task force discovered a makeshift meth lab, according to Fred Abdalla, Jefferson County sheriff.

“We’ve been gathering information (on the suspect) along with Tom Thomas, the Mount Pleasant police chief,” said Abdalla, adding the house was raided about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Abdalla said the house — just outside the Rayland limits — has been under surveillance for sometime, and the task force was waiting until it had enough evidence for a search warrant. Police discovered components to make chemicals, meth and other tools used to manufacture the drug, said Abdalla.

“(Task force members) had to take the meth and put it in a special container to be destroyed,” said the sheriff, adding the substances used to make the drug were hazardous.

Abdalla said personnel from the sheriff’s department, task force and Mount Pleasant Police participated in Tuesday’s raid.

(Miller can be contacted at mmiller@heraldstaronline.com.)

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