The Pettis County Sheriff’s Office found a meth lab during a drug bust in Osage County.
An Osage County Sheriff’s Office officer performed a routine traffic check at around 9:39 p.m. on a vehicle whose license plates had expired on July 31.
When the police pulled and stopped the car, they found 47-year-old Joseph Tessmer behind the wheel and 42-year-old Randy Lutjen sitting in the back.
During the search of the vehicle, police allegedly discovered 161 grams of a white crystal substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. Additionally, they found other drug paraphernalia in the engine’s air filter.
The authorities discovered and confiscated the following:
- One large bag containing 143 grams of meth
- Four baggies containing 15 grams of meth
- One small glass vile containing approximately 3 grams of meth
The narcotics task force detectives and Pettis County Sheriff’s officers continued their investigation at a quarry north of Sedalia, where Tessmer was believed to have stayed, on Wednesday, August 28.
Brad Anders, the sheriff of Pettis County, issued a news release stating that the discovery of a methamphetamine lab and many guns was made.
After that, the Osage Sheriff’s Office interviewed Tessmer and Lutjen on a Mirandized warrant.
Deputies were told by Tessmer that the methamphetamine was for personal use and that he had gotten the drugs in either Sedalia or St. Louis, according to a probable cause statement. According to police reports, Lutjen denied knowing about the drugs in the vehicle but admitted to having taken them recently.
The men were both taken into custody and lodged in the Osage County Jail.
Extra charges related to the meth lab and weapons have been levied against Tessmer.
