Lockport man suspected of making meth in his apartment

LOCKPORT – Niagara County Sheriff Deputy Raymond Needle said when he walked into a Walnut Street apartment on Saturday to serve a warrant, he recognized the smell and spotted many of the things used in methamphetamine manufacturing.

Matthew D. Bennett, 23, of Walnut Street was arraigned Monday in the City of Lockport on a misdemeanor criminal possession of a controlled substance warrant and was remanded to the Niagara County Jail on $2,000 bail. Felony drug charges are pending following forensics testing.

Needle said he detected the aroma of “Coleman” fuel and as he looked around the apartment, he noticed hypodermic syringes, coffee filters and plastic baggies on the floor. A Mason jar with a clear liquid was in sight and next to the jar was a white powder substance and a razor blade with white residue. A large container of table salt was also in the room.

The Niagara County Drug Task Force was called to the scene and obtained a search warrant from City of Lockport Judge William Watson.

A check of the apartment found plastic bottles in the garbage can used for manufacturing methamphetamine, coffee filters with residue from the drug and cold medicine.

The substance in the Mason jar tested positive for methamphetamine and deputies also found a scale and suspected heroin.