Pubdate: Wed, 03 Aug 2005
Source: Pantagraph, The  (IL)
Copyright: 2005 The Pantagraph
Contact:  http://www.pantagraph.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/643
Author: Greg Cima
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

POLICE: METH-FOR-BAIL PLOT FAILS

Ex-Cop Accused Of Involving Daughter In Money-Making Scheme To Pay Bond

LINCOLN -- A 24-year-old Lincoln woman was charged with trying to make 
methamphetamine to raise bail for her mother, a former police officer 
facing her own drug charges.

Authorities said Brianna Strohl's mother, Diana Short, 46, asked her 
collect materials to make meth because Short needed to post another $7,500 
to get out of jail. Short, who had been a Lincoln police officer until her 
arrest, previously was accused of growing marijuana plants in her basement.

Strohl and Short both were charged Tuesday with several felony counts 
related to making meth. Short now needs $25,000 to get out of jail, and 
Strohl needs $10,000.

Short, an officer for 10 years, and her husband, John, were arrested in 
December after state police found a room for growing marijuana in their 
home, prosecutors said.

They were released on bond, but they returned to jail May 5 when Circuit 
Judge Charles Feeney quadrupled their bond amounts. A grand jury had 
indicted them on additional drug trafficking charges in April.

Short had already posted $2,500, but then needed a total of $10,000 after 
the new charges were filed.

Inmates in the Logan County jail told authorities Short was asking various 
people to help her manufacture and sell meth to raise her bond money, 
prosecutors said in documents released Tuesday.

The state's attorney's office subsequently began monitoring her phone calls 
from the jail, authorities said. Short had no reason to expect privacy 
because a recorded warning announcing that calls can be monitored precedes 
inmates' phone calls, prosecutors said.

Despite that, Short asked her daughter and others to collect 
pseudoephedrine pills to manufacture the drug, prosecutors said. The 
ingredient is common in over-the-counter cold medicines and is key to 
making the illegal stimulant.

With help from an informant, Short was convinced a meth "cook" was at the 
ready and all that was missing was the cold pills, prosecutors said.

Short used thinly veiled code words in the calls, prosecutors said. For 
example, she told her daughter to gather as many as 2,000 "little white 
things," prosecutors said.

She instructed her daughter to ask her friends to help buy the medicine and 
make sure they only buy two boxes at each store so they stayed within the 
legal limit, authorities said.

On July 27, Strohl told her mother "mission accomplished" and gave her the 
address of a Lincoln home containing about 1,000 cold pills, according to 
prosecutors. Illinois State Police officers were alerted and seized the pills.

Short was previously charged with unlawful manufacture of marijuana, 
unlawful manufacture of marijuana with intent to deliver the drug and 
unlawful production of marijuana plants. She also faces charges of official 
misconduct accusing her of involvement with illegal drugs while serving as 
a member of the Lincoln Police Department.

The charges added Tuesday were one count each of unlawful possession of 
methamphetamine manufacturing chemicals and solicitation and two counts of 
unlawful criminal drug conspiracy.

Short is expected to return to court on Thursday.

Strohl is charged with two counts of unlawful criminal drug conspiracy and 
unlawful possession of methamphetamine manufacturing chemicals.
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