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2 accused of supplying drug lab

By Times Staff Writer
Published March 18, 2005

SOUTH DUNNELLON - Law officers arrested two people early Thursday and accused them of transporting supplies to a methamphetamine laboratory.

Neil A. Geiger, 20, and Brandie A. Kapiton, 31, remained at the Citrus County jail on Thursday with bail set at $10,500 each. They were held on charges of unlawful possession of a chemical and possession of drug paraphernalia.

About 12:45 a.m. Thursday, a Citrus County sheriff's deputy stopped a vehicle that was southbound on U.S. 41 near W Pennsylvania Avenue. The reason: The vehicle's high-beam lights were on, distracting northbound drivers, an arrest report said.

Kapiton was the driver and Geiger was her passenger, the report said. While looking in the back of the vehicle, a deputy saw a large brown camouflage duffel bag on the back seat. Protruding from the bag was a propane cylinder, and its valve section had apparent oxidation, indicating it contained ammonia, the report said.

Kapiton gave verbal consent for deputies to search the car, and they found three Wal-Mart bags containing a 1-gallon metal container of camping fuel, a box of 100 coffee filters, five plastic funnels, a box of clear, zippered sandwich bags, and six boxes of sinus medication containing pseudoephedrine, the report said.

Deputy Brian Dean wrote that, based on his training and experience, the items were used in the production of methamphetamine. Kapiton told Dean she was a "runner" who had just bought the items at a Wal-Mart and was taking them to a lab in Hernando, the report said.

Geiger said he used the drug but was not part of the production process, the report said. But he told the deputy he knew the items in the car were being taken to a drug lab.

[Last modified March 18, 2005, 00:42:17]