Man accused of trying to receive meth in the mail

A Bonne Terre, Missouri, man was arrested in Perry County on suspicion of trying to receive a pound of methamphetamine through the mail.

Jeffrey Alan Bay, 55, was issued an arrest warrant Tuesday on felony charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Perry County sheriff’s deputies assisted representatives from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and U.S. Postal Inspection Service with a controlled delivery Jan. 22 of a package containing one pound of methamphetamine addressed to 114 Edwards St. in Perryville with a return address of 3663 S. Valley Blvd., Las Vegas, according to the probable-cause statement form Perry County sheriff’s Sgt. Jason D. Kelley.

Perry County Sheriff Gary Schaaf said mailing methamphetamine is relatively common delivery method for the drug.

“More so than you would think,” Schaaf said. “They come up with all kinds of genius ways to do this.”

The DEA removed a majority of the methamphetamine from the package for safety reasons after a search warrant was obtained, the report stated.

About 2 p.m., agents stopped the man receiving the package at the address, who informed them it was going to Bay, according to the report. Deputies persuaded the man to set up a meeting with Bay at a Perryville Ponderosa parking lot later that afternoon, the report stated. Bay changed the meeting place to Brewer, Missouri, and deputies later stopped Bay’s vehicle north of the Brewer exit, according to the report.

“It was kind of touch-and-go for a while, but I’m happy with the way my guys worked,” Schaaf said of Bay’s changing the delivery location. “He was getting a little spooky.”

A search of Bay revealed a syringe, and one of the detectives informed Bay the syringe was enough evidence to search his vehicle. A search of Bay at the Perry County Jail after he was detained revealed $2,000, a piece of paper with the correct Perryville address and another paper with a Las Vegas address, the report stated. The vehicle search uncovered about 5 grams of methamphetamine, five pills — two identified as hydrochloride — and several pieces of drug paraphernalia, the report stated.

Schaaf said federal charges may be pursued against Bay in this case.

Bay’s bond was set at $20,000, cash only.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

114 Edwards St., Perryville, Mo.