Alexakos Visit the Photo Place

Stafford man held on meth lab charges

Man busted for running a meth lab in his home

Date published: 2/1/2007

By KEITH EPPS

A 41-year-old man has been arrested on a charge that he ran a methamphetamine lab out of his North Stafford home.

Michael D. Alexakos was taken into custody Tuesday night at his home at 3 St. Vincent Court, sheriff's spokesman Bill Kennedy said. He was charged with possession of "two or more different substances" with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine.

According to a search warrant affidavit in Stafford Circuit Court, an investigation began in mid-January when an informant told police that Alexakos was cooking methamphetamine in a makeshift lab in the unfinished part of his basement.

The informant said Alexakos had been operating the lab for about six months and made enough drugs for personal use and a small number of customers.

Kennedy said the operation was inactive when Stafford detectives and federal agents raided the home Tuesday. But he said evidence indicated it had recently been in use.

Court records state that the informant watched Alexakos use a process that involved removing pseudo-ephedrine from Sudafed tablets and stripping striker plates from thousands of matchbooks.

Detective John Hughes said the striker plates are a source of red phosphorus, a key ingredient in the cooking process.

On Tuesday, prior to the raid, police rummaged through trash that had been set out in front of Alexakos' home. In the trash were a number of items that Hughes said were consistent with a methamphetamine lab.

Court records state that Alexakos had also installed video cameras on the exterior of his home and carried a .40-caliber pistol in his waistband. The informant said this was part of his "paranoia."

Items seized in the raid included mason jars, a grinder, coffee filters, pills and a "Meth" recipe.

Federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the investigation.

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Date published: 2/1/2007