Looking for gun suspects, police stumble upon alleged meth maker

Cape Girardeau police were looking for two men who had threatened a woman with a gun.

Instead they found Larry Duane Tanner, 27, of Scott City at the same address with 15 grams of pseudoephedrine and a syringe in his pockets, according to a probable-cause statement.

Tanner was arrested Sunday and charged with possession of a methamphetamine precursor drug with intent to manufacture amphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Tanner’s bond was set at $10,000, cash only.

About 8:30 a.m. Sunday, police received a report a woman had been threatened with a firearm by two men on North Henderson Avenue, according to public information officer Adam Glueck.

Officers arrived at the address about 11:30 a.m. Sunday, and they thought they saw Tanner come out of the residence from the rear basement door, patrolman Joshua Potts wrote. Tanner was placed under arrest and searched because he fit the description of one of the armed subjects, according to the statement.

In Tanner’s left pocket was a plastic bag containing 15 grams of pseudoephedrine with other packaging, Potts wrote. An 18-pack of Sudafed contains about a half a gram of pseudoephedrine, according to Sudafed.com. It would take 500 Sudafed tablets to equal 15 grams of pseudoephedrine.

The state statute cited in the complaint in Tanner’s case states it is unlawful for any person to possess any methamphetamine-precursor drug with the intent to produce amphetamine, methamphetamine or any analogs. Possession of more than 24 grams of pseudoephedrine or any other methamphetamine precursor is evidence of intent, according to the statute.

Officers found a syringe in Tanner’s lower left pocket, Potts wrote. Tanner also had a warrant for the Division of Probation and Parole and a warrant from the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Department for probation violation.

After being given his Miranda rights, Tanner told officers he has used methamphetamine for 11 years and he had injected methamphetamine that night, Potts wrote.

Glueck said police arrested two men suspected of threatening the woman with a firearm at a residence on North Henderson Avenue on Sunday. The Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney’s office declined to pursue charges against either suspect.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

North Henderson Avenue, Cape Girardeau, Mo.