Hearings pending in Colburn meth case

SANDPOINT — Preliminary hearings are pending for two Bonner County men accused of cooking methamphetamine.

Louis Earl Gillette and Allan Roger Krebs are charged with possession of meth and trafficking for cooking the home-brewed stimulant. Both remain held on individual bails of $100,000.

Hearings to determine if they should be tried for the felony offenses is planned for March 3. Preliminary hearings were set for this month, although it was postponed so defense counsels could further investigate the case and subpoena defense witnesses, according to court documents.

Krebs, 64, Gillette, 52, were arrested on Feb. 4, following a three-month investigation.

A probable cause affidavit indicates the two turned up on law enforcement’s radar after detectives from the Bonner County sheriff’s Criminal Interdiction Team reviewed mandatory logs kept by area pharmacies to track the sales of pseudoephedrine, a chemical precursor in the drug’s recipe, and iodine, a reagent used in the cooking process.

The logs and surveillance showed Gillette was buying excessive amounts of the cold medications containing pseudoephedrine, in addition to iodine, the affidavit said. Surveillance of Krebs, meanwhile, found him dumping trash associated with meth production at a county waste collection site.

The investigation culminated with the search of Krebs’ home at 4433 Colburn Culver Road, where a working meth lab was allegedly discovered.