NU man found guilty

of manufacturing meth

NEW ULM -- A Brown County jury found Justin Weston, 312 S. German, New Ulm, guilty of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and controlled substance crime in the fourth degree today.

Weston's conviction culminates the investigation of the sale of controlled substances by the New Ulm Police Department and the Brown-Lyon-Redwood Drug Task Force in February.

During the trial, which started Monday morning, Investigator Jeffrey Hohensee of the New Ulm Police Department and Dan Louwagie, coordinator of the Brown Lyon-Redwood Drug Task Force, testified. that on Feb. 17, Louwagie met with Weston and arranged for the purchase of an "eight-ball" (3.5 grams) of methamphetamine. Louwagie purchased the meth from Weston at his residence in New Ulm during the early afternoon of Feb. 23.

Weston, at that time, could only deliver to Louwagie approximately one-half gram, but he advised Louwagie that the balance of the meth would be delivered after the meth was manufactured or "cooked."

Later that afternoon he contacted Louwagie, and said that he could sell Louwagie even more, up to a half ounce, because they were manufacturing "cooking" a big batch. Hohensee, then obtained a search warrant, searched the residence where Weston and his accomplices gathered, arrested Weston and others, and seized equipment and ingredients necessary to manufacture meth.

Weston's sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 22.

Minnesota sentencing guidelines provide for a presumptive commitment to state imprisonment for a period of at least 86 months (in excess of seven years).