3 charged in meth lab bust

A search warrant for stolen property led to three people being arrested on drug-related charges after deputies said they found a meth lab in the home.

Steven L. Jesperson, 41, Angela D. McMurty, 43, have both been charged with possession of stolen property and manufacturing of a controlled substance, and Brett E. Stroud, 55, is charged with manufacturing a controlled substance. Jesperson and McMurty lived at the home at 505 Clary Ave in Bonneville County, where law enforcement officials said the methamphetamine lab was located. Stroud is a resident of Idaho Falls. They were arraigned Tuesday on the manufacturing charges, which carry a 2 to 15 year sentence. Each is being held on a $50,000 bail at Bonnneville County Jail.

Police initially were at the home to serve a search warrant for stolen property around 5 p.m. on Monday, Bonneville Sheriff Paul Wilde said.

During the search, they found items consistent with a meth lab in a downstairs bedroom. Crews immediately left the house for safety reasons, Wilde said.

There was no concern about a possible explosion, so no evacuations were ordered, Wilde said. A HazMat team was called in to secure the materials in a long, complicated process. It left the site around 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Neighbor Mike Burkhart told reporter Marissa Bodnar he’s not surprised to see police at the home. He said he’s seen a lot of suspicious behavior, like people coming and going at all hours of the night.

Burkhart, who lives two houses down the block, said it’s a close-knit neighborhood with lots of children, so the incident is “worrisome.”

One of the stolen items police were looking for is a trailer.

The information that led to the search warrant came from a confidential informant, Wilde said.

Once the area is safe, Wilde said authorities will recover the stolen property.