By Jennifer K. Woldt

Oshkosh Northwestern Media

The resurgence of methamphetamine in the area continues with authorities shutting down a lab where an Oshkosh man was using a less complex formula known as the "hillbilly method" to cook the highly addictive street drug.

Robert W. Ramsey Jr., 35, was one of seven people arrested last week after Oshkosh police uncovered a meth lab inside a residence at 826 Wright Street during an investigation that involved the search of two homes on Aug. 14. Five of those arrested are now facing criminal charges in Winnebago County Circuit Court.

Ramsey is charged with possession of methamphetamine as a second or subsequent offense and two counts of felony bail jumping. If convicted, he faces 27 years, six months imprisonment and $30,000 in fines.

The lab is the third busted by Winnebago County authorities since June. On June 27, Oshkosh police located a lab in the 1500 block of Central Street and on July 7, Winnebago County Sheriff's deputies raided two labs in the town of Utica.

"We need to have concerns," said Oshkosh Police Sgt. Joe Framke, who supervises the department's drug unit. "We're seeing growing trends of the use and sale of heroin and the manufacture of methamphetamine."

The Lake Winnebago Metropolitan Enforcement Group, which covers Winnebago, Outagamie, Fond du Lac and Calumet counties, seized just 2.8 grams of meth and no labs in 2009. Seizures by law enforcement grew gradually, with the unit seizing 19 grams and four labs in 2012. However, that number jumped to six labs and 529 grams in 2013. Data for 2014 is not available.

In a neighborhood of primarily rental properties where college students often live, it could be easy to miss what authorities say are signs of drug use in a neighborhood. Houses might sit empty throughout the summer if students go home, or might be filled with subleasing tenants.

For Cassy Hemmen, a 21-year-old college student living near the Wright Street property, finding out a suspected meth lab was so close by was disturbing.

"It kind of freaks me out," Hemmen said Wednesday. "You think that everything is safe, but obviously I knew nothing about it. So the fact that it's hidden … it's kind of disturbing."

Seven arrested

Oshkosh police were conducting surveillance on 826 Wright Street and a second residence at 852 Jackson Street Aug. 14. During the course of the investigation, they arrested seven people for drug-related offenses, uncovered a meth lab at the Wright Street address and also seized heroin, meth and drug paraphernalia. Two of the seven have not been charged as of Wednesday.

Melisa E. Malone, 42, and Kree A. Simonsmeier, 26, both of Oshkosh, are charged with maintaining a drug trafficking place. Simonsmeier faces three years, six months imprisonment and $10,000 if convicted. Malone, who is also facing a felony bail jumping charge, faces nine years, six months imprisonment and $20,000 in fines.

Christopher P. Fraley, 31, of Oshkosh, is charged with manufacture/delivery of less than three grams of heroin and possession with the intent to deliver less than three grams of heroin, both as a second or subsequent offense. If convicted, he faces 33 years imprisonment and $50,000 in fines.

Trisha D. Baniel, 33, of Oshkosh, was charged with felony bail jumping and possession of drug paraphernalia. If convicted, she faces six years, 30 days imprisonment and $10,500 in fines.

Simonsmeier, who lived at the Wright Street residence, told police he recently had been getting meth from Ramsey and would help him by giving him lithium batteries and preparing cold packs. Simonsmeier said he also sometimes sold drugs for Ramsey, according to court documents.

Malone told police she began allowing Ramsey and another woman to cook meth in her home beginning in April. Malone said she was given two grams of meth each time Ramsey cooked meth.

When officers searched the attic of the Wright Street residence, they found three plastic containers, which all contained a liquid, and a 12-ounce Gatorade bottle with a white residue. A box of Sudafed and a box of Aleve-D were also found. Based on these items, police believed the attic area was where Ramsey would manufacture meth using the one pot, "shake and bake," also known as the "hillbilly method."

Police took Ramsey into custody outside the Jackson Street residence after they received information he was there and was wanted for an outstanding warrant for a case involving possession of meth and meth precursors.

When he was taken into custody, Ramsey had two small steel vials in the pocket of his shorts that contained 1.3 grams of a white, powdery substance. The substance gave positive indications for the presence of meth.

Fraley, who lived at the Jackson Street residence, told police while he has used meth, he prefers heroin. Fraley told officers he purchased 1.5 bindles of heroin on Aug. 13 and used a bindle himself that night. He said he usually buys heroin every other day and sells some of it, but uses most of it himself.

When he was arrested, he had a cigarette box that contained 1.2 grams of heroin that was separated into nine bindles and three morphine pills.

Sensitive case

While the shutdown took place on Aug. 14 and a Chicago-based hazardous clean-up crew removed remnants of the chemicals left behind that night, Oshkosh police did not notify the community about the bust until Wednesday, nearly a week later.

Framke said it was not due to an attempt to withhold information, but rather to ensure the investigation was competed correctly.

"We wanted to make sure we didn't compromise the investigation in anyway and we wanted to be thorough," Framke said. "The lag wasn't simply to not get the information out to the community, but rather, sometimes the information is sensitive and we need to make sure we do a complete investigation."

With an increasing amount of meth in the area, authorities stress that it's vital community members contact police if they see any unusual or odd behaviors occurring at a residence.

"It's very important for community members to contact us and work with us," Framke said. "We want to work with the community to address and resolve these issues, because not only is it a criminal issue, but it's also a quality of life issue."

Jennifer K. Woldt: (920) 426-6676 or jwoldt@thenorthwestern.com. On Twitter, @ONW_Woldt. Noell Dickmann contributed to this report.