News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22, 2005

"Meth Cook" Sentenced on Federal Drug Charge

Worcester, MA... A Webster man was sentenced late yesterday on federal drug offenses.

June W. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan and William Keefe, Chief of the Webster Police Department, announced today that KEITH GOODHUE, age 30, of Webster, Massachusetts, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV to 5 years and 3 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. On July 27, 2005, GOODHUE pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully possessing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, red phosphorous, and iodine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine.

At the earlier plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the evidence would have proven that on November 11, 2003, Webster police officers responded to a 9-1-1 call for emergency medical assistance at a residence located at 4 Goodness Street in Webster. Paramedics and police were let in to the residence by GOODHUE and taken to the bedroom where they observed GOODHUE’s wife lying unconscious with apparent fresh needle marks on her arm. GOODHUE advised police that his wife had used heroin in the past, but that she had not used any on this day. Paramedics attempted to revive GOODHUE's wife using a variety of medical techniques, but were unsuccessful. Paramedics transported GOODHUE's wife to the hospital, where she later recovered.

Although GOODHUE told the officers that he did not believe that there were any narcotics in the house, officers saw what appeared to be glass tubes used to ingest illegal drugs on a shelf in the bedroom. Officers also observed two children's beds in the room as well as toys and clothes for small children scattered about the bedroom and learned from GOODHUE that the GOODHUES had two small children sleeping in the room. Concerned that there may be a needle and syringe containing a dangerous controlled substance in the room where small children sleep and play, officers began searching the room for the needle and syringe. Officers were able to recover three needles and syringes in the top drawer of the dresser. During the search, officers also noticed chemistry lab equipment in the room, red stained coffee filters and a bottle of lye.

GOODHUE waived his Miranda rights and agreed to show the officers where the rest of the lab equipment was located. Investigators recovered lab equipment including among other items, condensers, glass tubes, a two pan burner, a propane tank, a round bottom flask, glass beakers, tubing, funnels, coffee filters, scales, a pestle, and various narcotics paraphernalia including empty blister packs of cold medication containing pseudoephedrine.

Investigators also recovered containers and bottles containing over 50 grams of red phosphorous, over 110 grams of iodine, over 300 grams of Red Devil Lye, over 50 grams of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, and Coleman fuel. These chemicals are precursor chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine.

GOODHUE admitted that he learned how to “cook” methamphetamine from watching another individual while living in New Mexico and that he had previously used methamphetamine. GOODHUE said he brought the laboratory equipment back with him from New Mexico when he and his wife moved back to Massachusetts and that he kept it in the closet in the bedroom. GOODHUE admitted that a few days prior to November 11, 2003, he pulled out the chemicals and laboratory equipment and had planned to make methamphetamine. GOODHUE admitted that he had been intending to manufacture methamphetamine in order to sell it for money.

GOODHUE has been in federal custody since his guilty plea on July 27, 2005.

The investigation was conducted by the Webster Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Task Force in Worcester. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Casey in Sullivan’s Worcester Office.