Couple Arrested With Meth Chemicals, Crack and Marijuana

A St. Charles man faces drug charges after an Oct. 2 traffic stop near Friedens and southbound Highway 94.

James J. Vitale, 47, of the 100 block of Hastings Way in St. Charles, was charged Wednesday with possession of chemicals with intent to make a controlled substance, controlled substance possession and marijuana possession.

A St. Charles County Drug Task Force detective reported that police spotted Vitale sitting in his truck in a Walgreen’s parking lot at 12345 St. Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton. Vitale was known as a methamphetamine user, according to the Drug Task Force report.

Vitale soon was joined by a woman, and they drove into St. Charles. Police pulled them near at Friedens Road and southbound Highway 94 after Vitale failed to signal two lane changes.

Police said they received consent to search and found two boxes of pseudoephedrine in the truck and a small amount of crack cocaine and marijuana on the woman.

They both acknowledged they bought the pseudoephedrine to provide it to a clandestine meth cook, according to the police report. Vitale said he bought pseudoephedrine about 12 times for the same meth cook in exchange for finished meth.

The woman told Drug Task Force detectives asked her to hide the crack cocaine and marijuana in her clothing, but it belonged to them both.

The woman was identified, but has not yet been charged.

Police said Vitale was upset when he learned he would be charged with possessing the cocaine and marijuana.

“Yeah, it was ours together, but since I gave it to her to hide, you didn’t find it on me. It’s not mine,” Vitale told Drug Task Force detectives, according to the report.

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