News briefs for Dec. 4, 2003

Thursday, Dec. 4, 2003 | 9:41 a.m.

Guilty plea made in meth arrest

A California man pleaded guilty Wednesday in Cape Girardeau, Mo., to charges from an investigation that turned up 4 million pseudoephedrine pills, an ingredient used in making methamphetamine.

Dan Frankel, 46, of San Clemente, Calif., was arrested June 25 in Las Vegas.

Law enforcers in Missouri said they prosecute those who have illegal amounts of the ingredients needed to make meth in order to reduce production of the drug.

At the time, U.S. Attorney Ray Gruender's office said, more than 700 pounds of pseudoephedrine were seized from a storage unit.

Another storage unit was then searched in Niagara Falls, Ontario, with another 800 pounds of pills seized, prosecutors said.

Frankel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally distribute pseudoephedrine and conspiracy to launder money in a federal eastern district of Missouri court. Sentencing was set for April 6.

Bob Erickson, director of the research

division in the Legislative Counsel Bureau, is retiring at the end of the month. Erickson has been in state government since 1971 and with the legislative branch since 1973. He directs a staff that does studies and research for lawmakers on various issues. He said he has no firm plans after he retires.