Oneida man charged in connection with Canastota meth lab discovery
On Aug. 8, 2018, at 7:30 p.m., Investigators with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and members of The Canastota Police Department responded to 102 East Chapel St., Canastota, for a report of a strong chemical odor consistent with odors produced during the cooking of methamphetamine.
Investigators obtained information that a man was possibly cooking meth inside the apartment, so they entered and located Ronald R. Ortman, Jr., 38, of 150 Madison St., apt. 6, Oneida. Ortman admitted to investigators that he had been cooking meth in the apartment and hid the lab in the attic.
Due to the hazardous material contained in a meth lab, the building was evacuated.
A search warrant was executed, which led to the discovery of two meth labs inside the residence. The New York State Contaminated Crime Scene Emergency Response Team seized the two labs and removed them from the scene.
Sheriff’s investigators arrested Ortman and charged him with second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (class A felony), third-degree unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine (class D felony), seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled Substance (class A misdemeanor) and endangering the welfare of a child (class A misdemeanor).
Ortman was arraigned in Sullivan Town Court and remanded to the Madison County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bail bond; he is scheduled to return to Canastota Village Court Aug. 14, 2018.