$1.6M operation: Sheriff says case involving 'counterfeit meth' is proof you can't trust drug dealers
KENOSHA COUNTY -- Four men are accused of taking one drug, and making it look like another -- in an effort to make more money when selling it. A $1.6 million operation was busted this week in Kenosha County.
Kenosha County Sheriff's officials say four people were arrested as a search warrant was executed at a home in Kenosha on Tuesday morning, December 15th, and more than $1 million worth of meth disguised as cocaine was recovered.
Home near 50th Street and 16th Avenue in Kenosha
The search warrant was executed at the home on 50th Street in Kenosha around 6:00 a.m. (near 50th Street and 16th Avenue).
The four men taken into custody are between the ages of 20 and 23.
Members of the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department's Drug Operations Group located marijuana, cocaine, crystal meth, a firearm and a meth lab in the home.
Drugs recovered as meth lab busted in Kenosha
"I was told that even when our drug unit went in there, they thought they were looking at a large quantity of cocaine," Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said.
Due to the strong chemical odors and an unknown substance (brown liquid), a processing room inside the home was secured until a DEA agent arrived to the scene.
The scene tested positive for meth -- and bagged kilos, assumed to be cocaine, actually tested positive for meth.
Drugs recovered as meth lab busted in Kenosha
Officials say these men that were taken into custody were actively working a meth lab while purposely giving the meth the appearance of powdered cocaine -- and selling it as cocaine.
The processing lab was used to convert crystal meth into white powder that resembles cocaine. The men would then sell it as powered cocaine.
"They sprayed like, a sunburn type of solution on top of the crystal meth so that when people would try it -- put it in their mouth, test it, it would cause a numbing like cocaine does and it also hides the taste of what crystal meth is and people would think it's cocaine," Sheriff Beth said.
Drugs recovered as meth lab busted in Kenosha
Cutting agents were used to convert one pound of meth into four pounds of white power lookalike cocaine meth.
Officials say the following was recovered from the home:
Drugs recovered as meth lab busted in Kenosha
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Officials are requesting charges including possession with intent to deliver meth, possession with intent to deliver THC and keeper of a drug house against the men.
We're told they are illegal immigrants, and members of the same family.
Sheriff Beth says this case proves you can never trust a drug dealer.
"They really don't care what you get. They don't care if you're going to make it out of this one use. Their goal is to turn a profit," Sheriff Beth said.
Sheriff Beth says these suspects got their meth from Mexico.
Home near 50th Street and 16th Avenue in Kenosha