Store logs help police bust up alleged Palatine meth lab

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PALATINE — Montgomery County sheriff's deputies are crediting the logging of ephedrine purchases in retail stores with helping them uncover a methamphetamine lab at a home on Stone Arabia Road.

Sheriff’s deputies, with assistance from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, state police and state parole officers, executed a search warrant Tuesday afternoon at 1244 Stone Arabia Road and recovered evidence of what they termed an inactive meth lab.

Michael Mussmacher, 33, who lived in the house, was charged with felony counts of third-degree unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine and second-degree criminal possession of precursors of methamphetamine and misdemeanor charges of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Sheriff's deputies said they were tipped off to the alleged lab through the continued monitoring of logs required at retail stores where any ephedrine product is sold. Ephedrine is one of the key ingredients in meth.

Deputies said Mussmacher had purchased ephedrine products at stores throughout Montgomery, Fulton and Herkimer counties, many times buying products at different stores on the same day.

Mussmacher was arraigned in Town Court and sent to the Montgomery County jail on $15,000 cash bail or $30,000 bond.

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