Hinton

Bail has been set for two persons charged when a meth lab was discovered in their vehicle following a traffic stop.

Teresa Ann Hinton, 40, of Elmore faces two counts of first-degree manufacturing of meth-amphetamine.

During a Nov. 5 court hearing, bail was placed at $200,000 without conditions or $100,000 with, that included keeping court officials informed of her current address; abstain from use of alcohol or controlled substances; and be subjected to random testing.

Hinton faces maximum penalties of 30 years and a $1 million fine on each count and remains in custody in the Faribault County Jail.

On Tuesday, three felony charges were filed against 48-year-old Rick Allen Rochefort of Delavan.

Rochefort

He was charged with one count of first-degree manufacturing of methamphetamine; first-degree cons- piracy to manufacture meth; and first-degree possession of a controlled substance/meth.

On Thursday, Rochefort made his first court appearance.

Bail was set at $1 million without conditions or $500,000 with conditions similar to those for Hinton.

Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 40 years and a $1 million fine because Rochefort has a prior controlled substance conviction

He also is being held on a Department of Correc-tions arrest warrant for violating conditions of his supervised release from prison.

The two were arrestedNov. 4 around 8:30 p.m. after their vehicle was stopped while traveling south on Highway 169 through Elmore.

According to a court complaint, on Oct. 27 deputy sheriff Barry Meyers installed a GPS tracker on the car to apprehend Rochefort, who was a fugitive and wanted by the DOC.

Hinton was driving the 1995 Pontiac Grand Am at the time and allowed officers to search the car after obtaining a warrant.

The complaint says officers found gloves with a reddish stain and had a very strong chemical odor of anhydrous ammonia.

A bottle which had a lithium strip, says the complaint, contained a substance that was actively producing meth while in the trunk of the car.

The substance reportedly evaporated and produced a reddish powder weighing about 40 grams and field-tested positive for methamphetamines.

Authorities also searched Rochefort’s home in Blue Earth and allegedly found several items used to make meth, says the complaint.

In court, Rochefort denied ever living at the residence and told Judge Douglas Richards he lives in Delavan.

On Nov. 5, officials executed a search warrant at a Winnebago address listed on Rochefort’s driver’s license.

The residence was the same location of a meth lab in 1999 in which Rochefort was convicted of manufacturing meth.

Substances seized during the searches have been sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis.