Farmington Police Department

A 911 call made shortly after midnight for a report of a shed fire resulted in the discovery of a meth lab at 532 Chestnut Hill Road in Farmington. An investigation and subsequent execution of a search warrant lead to charges against:

NORMAN MARCOTTE, AGE 30

16 WAKEFIELD STREET, APT. B

ROCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

MARCOTTE was charged with two counts of Possession of Controlled Drug (methamphetamine) and one count of Manufacturing a Controlled Drug (methamphetamine). Marcotte refused bail and is being held at the Strafford County Jail pending arraignment on July 6, 2010 at 11:30 AM at Rochester District Court.

A resident at 532 Chestnut Hill Road called 911 after Marcotte came into the residence stating that the shed was on fire due to the lab exploding. Farmington Police and Fire Departments immediately responded.

The shed was completely obliterated during the explosion and subsequent fire. Firefighters from the Farmington Fire Department had to use extreme caution due to the nature of the fire. The fire spread to the woods immediately surrounding the shed but was extinguished within 30 minutes. However, members of the Fire Department remained on scene during most of the duration of the investigation.

The Farmington Police Department conducted an initial investigation that resulted in the issuance of a search warrant for the property. With the assistance of agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency and a chemist from the New Hampshire State Police Forensic Lab, officers recovered items associated with the manufacturing of methamphetamine.

Officers remained on scene investigating this incident until about 1:00 PM today. Prior to leaving, the Police Department also had the town’s Code Enforcement Officer respond to the residence.