Jennifer Elder

A woman accused of operating a methamphetamine lab in Center Township in April was arraigned on several criminal charges this week.

Jennifer Elder, 23, of Butler was arrested on April 24 on suspicion of methamphetamine production after her probation officers from Clarion County made a home visit and observed material used in the production of the drug, according to the criminal complaint.

With a search warrant, police found ammonium sulfate and other chemicals used to produce the drug. They also found Elder had the finished product in her possession along with ephedrine.

Although Elder was arrested in April, police didn’t file a criminal complaint against her until Sept. 11.

The criminal complaint details that Elder claimed that all the items in question in the basement and on the back porch were hers and that no one else living at the Palmer Road residence was aware of the meth production.

Lab results a few months later showed that one coffee filter and a glass jar that police found had methamphetamine in it.

In Clarion County, Elder is facing similar drug production charges and pleaded guilty March 13 to a charge related to a burglary; she is being held in Clarion County Prison.

Along with breaking her probation with Clarion County, Elder broke her probation in Butler County for a driving under the influence conviction.

On March 16, she failed a field sobriety test and a search of her vehicle by police turned up a lip balm tin containing two pills of lorazepam, a medication often used to treat anxiety. Elder admitted she did not have a prescription for the drug, police said.

Police took her to Butler Memorial Hospital for a blood test. Toxicology results showed she had several drugs in her system including amphetamine, methamphetamine, lorazepam, norbuprenorphin and pseudoephedrine. She pleaded guilty May 21 to driving under the influence.