BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT) – A Jefferson County man found guilty of numerous charges related to the operation of multiple methamphetamine labs was sentenced to 34 to 86 years in state prison Wednesday, according to County District Attorney Jeff Burkett.
Jason Troy Bingaman, 39, of Brookville, was found guilty of eight counts Sept. 23 by a jury for the operation of methamphetamine labs in both counties.
“In September, I had a trial and convicted this man of running multiple meth labs. The evidence showed that he was a prolific meth cook and was conspiring with and selling meth to many people in our county as well as in Indiana,” Burkett said on Facebook.
“During the trial, he acted like it was all a big joke, constantly smirking. The smirk left his face on Wednesday. He received 34 to 86 years in prison. The bottom line….don´t cook meth in Jefferson County!!!”
Bingman was found guilty of running meth labs in Jefferson and Clearfield counties and the charges were combined after Burkett successfully argued that Bingaman’s actions were a single, continuing operation.
The charges Bingaman was found guilty of included:
- Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
- Conspiracy – Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
- Operating a Methamphetamine Lab, Felony 2
- Deposits, Stores, Disposes Chemical Waste, Felony 3 (two counts)
- Possession Red Phosphorus, etc w/ Intent to Manufacture Controlled Substance, Felony
- Knowingly Possessing Ephedrine, Misdemeanor
- Use/Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor
Details on the Case
“To be honest, I was a little surprised he decided to take the trial, but we are pleased with the guilty verdicts,” Burkett said.
According to the original criminal complaint, Pa. Constable Paul Pape was at a residence in Glen Campbell on Dec. 31, 2015, serving an arrest warrant on Jordan Pavalak. Pape discovered what he believed to be an active meth lab and then called Punxsutawney-based State Police.
Police viewed several plastic bottles consistent with a one-pot meth cooking operation. Two men escaped, but the tenant of the residence agreed to a search, and a number of items were found that were used to operate a meth lab.
Then, the State Police’s Clandestine Lab Response Team was contacted to collect the evidence.
According to the complaint, three interviews were conducted at the scene, and one known woman indicated that “she did not know who was cooking meth, but assumed that it was Jason Bingaman and (a known man) since they were there and ran when the Constables came.”
Another woman at the scene told officers that “Jason Bingaman and a known man had been cooking meth and has done two or three cooks at the house within the past two weeks.” She indicated that “he cooks somewhere else also, but she wasn’t sure where.
She also said that she has purchased cold pills for (Bingaman) in the past, and the most recent of which was last week. She further advised that (Bingaman) sells meth to people…but she didn’t know any of the people,” the complaint states.
A third woman who was interviewed indicated that “Jason Bingaman and another guy had been cooking meth at (the Graham Street location) for the past two days, and that “they had been cooking elsewhere, but when it got cold, they brought the stuff to (the Graham Street location).”
She advised that they have done two or three pots in the past two days. She advised that (Bingaman) uses a lot of meth and also sells some and that she has purchased cold pills for him in the past, but claims to not know what the pills were for when she bought them.” She said Bingaman would “give her money to buy pills, then pay her with money or Heroin for buying the pills for him. She further advised that she has done three shots of (Bingaman’s) meth in the past two days,” according to the complaint.
The complaint indicates that the scene was photographed by members of the CLRT, and the evidence was transported to the Greensburg Crime lab for analysis.
A check of the National Precursor Log Exchange pseudoephedrine logs showed purchases of 2.4 grams of pseudoephedrine “Sudafed 24 hour” by Jason Bingaman at the WalMart Pharmacy in Punxsutawney on two dates in December.
On January 7, 2016, at approximately 3:48 p.m., the tenant at the Graham Street residence told officers that “Jason Bingaman was at the residence on Dec. 31, 2015, but he ran out the back door….She also indicated that he is on the lease.” She told officers that “Jason Bingaman, (a known man), and (another known man) were the ones cooking the meth at this residence. Jason cooked meth here at least three or four times in December,” the complaint states.
The tenant also said that Bingaman had been in Brookville at a house that got busted for meth on December 14, 2015. Prior to December 14, 2015, the tenant “observed Bingaman leaving the Glen Campbell residence with a plastic tote containing methamphetamine precursor chemicals.”
“On December 15, 2015, the tenant picked up Bingaman in Brookville and returned to the Glen Campbell residence where Bingaman continued to cook methamphetamine,” the complaint said.
Bingaman is a repeat offender who has served time for endangering the welfare of children. He was sentenced to serve six to 23 months and 29 days for that charge in which he entered a guilty plea on Jan. 29, 2016.
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