A Lincoln man stole hundreds of dollars worth of gas meters from the city before being arrested on suspicion of having a meth lab in his chicken house, police say.
David Ely, 28, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of drug possession with intent to manufacture, commercial burglary, theft of property and theft by receiving. He remained Monday night in the Washington County Detention Center on $2,500 bond.
Police said Ely stole hundreds of dollars in brass and copper from gas meters and brass fittings at the City of Lincoln Water Treatment Plant on North West Avenue in December. Police received an anonymous tip that Gary Medlin, of Lincoln, was involved in the alleged theft.
The gas meters are worth about $550 new. The unknown number of meters stolen were used.
While being interviewed, Medlin admitted to officers he stole brass and copper from the water treatment plant with Ely and sold them as scrap to Vaughn’s Recycling in Fayetteville.
Medlin was arrested Sunday on suspicion of commercial burglary and theft of property. He was released the same day.
While searching Ely’s home, police found plastic baggies containing a white residue and a hypodermic syringe, according to a preliminary report from the Washington County Prosecutor’s Office.
Ely led officers to a chicken house, where police found components to a methamphetamine lab, the report states.
Ely was arrested at the scene.
