Oneida (WSYR-TV) – Oneida Police arrested three individuals - including a father and son - during an investigation into a suspected meth lab on Lenox Avenue on Tuesday morning.
Michael Held Sr., 55; Michael Held Jr., 27; and Dusty Woods, 25; were all taken into custody after police executed a search warrant at 414 Lenox Ave. and recovered 6.3 grams of meth valued at $650.
Michael Held Sr. and Woods were both charged with conspiracy, a misdemeanor. They were released on an appearance ticket and will appear in court on July 1. Police say the two men agreed to purchase pseudoephedrine, a substance used in the production of meth.
Michael Held Jr. was charged with the following felonies:
- Criminal possession of a controlled substance
- Criminal possession of precursors of methamphetamine
- Unlawful manufacture of of methamphetamine
And the following misdemeanors:
- Unlawful disposal of methamphetamine material
- Criminally using drug paraphernalia
- Conspiracy
He was arraigned and sent to Madison County Jail in lieu of $25,000 cash or $50,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 17.
Police executed their search warrant and converged on the alleged meth lab, which is located in one apartment in a house with three to four other units, at 6 a.m.
City police are being assisted by other law-enforcement agencies, including State Police.
The apartment building is located in a densely populated area in the small Madison County city. Police said if the chemicals in the alleged meth lab had ignited, it could have presented a substantial danger for residents.
“A lot of this stuff is flammable. The Fire department is down there now because they found product ready to react,” said Oneida Police Chief David Meeker.
Residents say the Lenox Avenue area is "pretty rough" and police say there have been problems in the neighborhood before.
