The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Drug factory found during probation check
James Frasca pleads not guilty to charges
A former Torrington man pleaded not guilty to four charges, including operation of a drug factory, Friday in Litchfield Superior Court, according to court records.
James Frasca, 38, of 59 North Lakeshore Drive, Brookfield, was arrested Feb. 6 by Torrington police, according to state records, and has been charged with operation of drug factory, possession in a school zone, use of drug paraphernalia except less than a halfounce of marijuana, and risk of injury to child.
He was arrested by Torrington police, according to an affidavit seeking a warrant for his arrest, after probation officers found “a collection of bottles containing liquid chemicals, crystals, and burnt battery contents” in the basement of 169 Starview Drive in Torrington, featuring “tubes taped up and leading from bottle to bottle.”
“Based on our training and experience this set up was identified as a methamphetamine laboratory,” wrote a Torrington officer in the affidavit.
Another laboratory setup, this one producing a reaction with “smoke emanating from lab bottles,” was also found in the garage, police said. Glass vials found in the home were later determined to contain methamphetamine and ketamine.
City police were on hand to aid probation officers in checking on Frasca, officials said, who was on probation for possession of methamphetamine.
Frasca told police in a written statement that his girlfriend and a man from Bridgeport had decided to cook methamphetamine in the home, and that he had disagreed with the idea for fear of
having toxins appear in his urine when meeting with his probation officer.
He attempted to sabotage the preparation of the drug, he told police, both on his own and with the aid of a former girlfriend.
“I did not have anything to do with the cooking of the meth in my home,” Frasca told police in a sworn statement.
Frasca’s “toddler aged son” was in the home over the weekend, police reported.
Frasca pleaded not guilty to the four charges filed against him in connection with this case Friday in Litchfield Superior Court, according to court documents.
He is next scheduled to appear in court on April 8.
Frasca is also charged in connection with four other cases, according to state records.