Sheffield Lake man pleads guilty of running mansion meth lab

Madhu Dutta

ELYRIA — A Sheffield Lake man who had been constructing a methamphetamine lab in an East Lake Road home once valued at $1.1 million has pleaded guilty.

Maduh Dutta, 53, entered pleas to charges of illegal assembly or possession of chemicals in the manufacture of drugs, possession of criminal tools and possession of methamphetamines during a court appearance Friday.

None of the charges carry a mandatory prison sentence and prosecutors agreed to drop an additional charge of illegal manufacture of drugs against Dutta and halt their efforts to seize 3675 E. Lake Road, which is now valued at $930,900 on Lorain County Auditor Craig Snodgrass’ website.

The Lorain County Drug Task Force went to the house in April 2014 after receiving information there might be a drug lab present and spoke with Dutta in the driveway. Dutta later invited them inside and gave them permission to search the house.

Detectives said they found chemicals and equipment that could be used in the construction of a drug lab in addition to some methamphetamine, which according to prosecutors Dutta admitted to using the night before.

The Task Force later obtained search warrants and conducted a more extensive search of the home, which had to be evacuated because of the smell of chemicals inside.

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This house at 3675 E. Lake Road in Sheffield Lake was the site of an alleged methamphetamine lab.

During efforts to suppress the evidence seized during the investigation, Dutta and his attorneys, Mike Duff and Dan Whiteman, argued that the chemicals found weren’t for drugs.

Dutta wrote in an affidavit that detectives couldn’t have smelled the chemicals, which were stored in his wine cellar. Dutta and his attorneys argued that the chemicals were used in testing solar panels for a company Dutta was involved in.

“The chemicals were stored in their closed factory containers for use in analysis of the spot welds on the solar panels,” Dutta wrote. “Under these storage parameters, the chemicals would not have emanated any odors and as such would not have been subject to olfactory detection as alleged by the law enforcement officers in my residence.”

County Prosecutor Dennis Will said that rather than take a chance on the evidence being suppressed and the case against Dutta weakened, his office agreed to a plea agreement with Dutta.

Duff, who is now listed as a co-owner of the house, said his client continues to be involved in solar panel research.

“He’s glad to put this behind him and move on with his professional life,” Duff said.

Dutta is scheduled to be sentenced next month by county Common Pleas Judge Mark Betleski.

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