Authorities have released the names of the suspects apprehended following a series of meth-lab busts that took place earlier this month in Dowagiac.

The first arrested suspect, 27-year-old Rose Morris, was arraigned in Cass County Court on Jan. 8, where she was charged with multiple drug related counts, including conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine, operating/maintaining a lab involving methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine. She is currently being held on $50,000 bond.

The other pair of suspects, 34-year-old Melissa Lammon and 48-year-old Allen Lesiewicz, were both arraigned on Jan. 14. The former was charged with delivery/manufacturing of methamphetamine, two counts of operating/maintaining a lab involving methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, maintaining a drug house and possession of marijuana; the latter was charged with delivery/manufacturing of methamphetamine, manufacture of methamphetamine, conspiracy to operate/maintain a lab involving methamphetamine, operating/maintaining a lab involving methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, maintaining a drug house and possession of marijuana.

Both suspects are being held on $60,000 bond.

Morris was arrested on Jan. 7, after members of the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team executed a search warrant on a residence in the 300 block of East Division Street.

Police apprehended the woman after uncovering several one-pot methamphetamine labs and other meth making materials inside the building, along with paraphernalia related to the drug.

The other pair of suspects were taken into custody less than a week later, on Jan. 14. Lammon and Lesiewicz were arrested after police executed a search warrant at a residence on the 400 block of East Railroad Street, where police discovered a single one-pot meth lab, along with methamphetamine making materials, methamphetamine and methamphetamine paraphernalia.

“There has been meth activity in the Dowagiac area for some time,” said Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz in reaction to both stings. “CCDET has kept their ears to the ground and received information that allowed them to push back on both locations.”

Both operations appear to be unrelated to each other, Fitz said. In the case of the first arrest, though, police are investigating another possible suspect who was operating out of the location, the prosecutor said.

Like other drug arrests in the county, the prosecutor’s office intends to pursue these cases aggressively, Fitz said.

“The prosecutor’s office and local law enforcement takes drug activity in highly populated areas extremely seriously,” he said. “When this type of activity occurs it’s extremely disturbing.”

The prosecutor encouraged residents who have information about these cases or other possible drug activity in the area to contact CCDET at 1-800-462-9328 or online at http://www.ccso.info/Services/TipSumbit.aspx