Martin was replying to questions about someone s apparent attempts to discredit, or at least harass, Steve Rich, a member of the SCU who has been part of numerous drug arrests in the past 18 months. Martin said members of both the broadcast and print media have contacted him in several instances. The latest ploy was the printing of a classified advertisement in a state newspaper offering numerous lab components and 15 pounds of red phosphorus for sale. The ad listed Steve and a phone number for contact. Production of methamphetamine, or meth, requires a laboratory-like process, prompting the label meth lab for the illicit manufacturing operations.
Red phosphorus is a component in one of several recipes for the drug.
It s my old cell phone number, Rich said in an interview. Rich laughed when asked if he might have placed the ad as a ruse to get drug cooks to reveal themselves. It sounds good, but it wouldn t work. Doing that would be entrapment, making it a waste of time, he explained. It would only get thrown out of court, Rich stated.