JERSEYVILLE - Jerseyville Police Department arrested a suspect Brett E. McCloughan, 31, of Jerseyville, formerly of St. Louis, after conducting an investigation of drug activity at an apartment located in Jerseyville.
During the investigation, officers located methamphetamine, cannabis, numerous items of drug paraphernalia, guns and rolls of Sweet Tarts that had been laced with an alprazolam mixture, police said.
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McCloughlin was charged with the following:
Count 1
Unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school - Class 2 Felony.
Count 2
Unlawful possession of methamphetamine - Class 2 Felony
Count 3
Unlawful possession of weapons by a felon - Class 3 Felony
McCloughlin was also charged with city ordinance violations for unlawful possession of cannabis and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
McCloughan is currently incarcerated at the Jersey County Jail with a $100,000 bond.
Jerseyville Police said the investigation continues in the case.
“At this time I believe that McCloughan was working with other individuals in shipping the Sweet Tarts to the St. Louis area to be sold,” Jersey State’s Attorney Ben Goetten said. “However, if anyone sees any suspicious packaging on candies or if you have any questions or concerns feel free to call the Jerseyville Police Department.
“This was major bust for the Jerseyville Police Department and shut down what appears to be a mass production of this new drug. We intend to aggressively prosecute this case and similar cases where drugs are being manufactured.”
