‘Cook’ Charged for Meth Lab & Homemade Explosives

A man has been charged with operating a meth lab and having bombs at his residence in Falls Township.

Donald Barger, 61, was charged late Tuesday afternoon with operating a methamphetamine lab, storing chemical waste, risking catastrophe, possessing explosives, possessing an incapacitation device, possession of a prohibited firearm and other related offenses. He was arraigned before Judge Jan Vislosky and sent to Bucks County jail on 10 percent of $150,000 bail.

LevittownNow.com first reported in October that a theft investigation had lead to the discovery of explosives and a possible meth lab at a home in the 9200 block of East Tyburn Road. Barger along with three other men was initially charged in relation with the investigation.

The more recent charges filed by police against Barger, who uses a cane to get around, are connected with the explosives and meth lab.

Upon executing a search warrant on the house in early October, which had a room rented to a tow truck driver working for a business situated behind the house, police discovered a slew of items connected to drugs.

Police detailed in court papers they found cameras, a loaded Taurus semiautomatic handgun, sandwich bags with suspected drug residue, pills, drug paraphernalia, a VHS labeled “Meth Tape Government Save,” audio recorders, an audio recorder make to look like a pen inside the first floor of the home. On a shelving unit investigators said they found a funnel, BB pellets, ball bearings, a blow dart gun, projectiles for the dart gun, a large machete, CO2 containers, fuses, black powder and other items. Authorities added they found hoses, chemicals, a gas cylinder from a veterinarian and other items in the basement.

Once explosives lined with shrapnel were discovered, detectives cleared the residence and called the Pennsylvania State Police East Regional Clandestine Laboratory Team and the Philadelphia Police Department Bomb Disposal Unit.

The bomb squad arrived on the scene and said the two explosive devices could have caused “serious bodily injury or death.”

The East Regional Clandestine Laboratory Team then went to work and documented the scene along with Falls police.

An informant told police Barger “cooks’ methamphetamine inside the house, police said. They informant also said Barger was “ultra-paranoid.”

Police said there were a number of detection devices like cameras around the house. According to court papers, the cameras were connected to monitors inside.

The informant told police they would often hear pots and pans in the meth lab in the basement along with voices, according to court papers. Music was reportedly played to ask the noises.

Barger was arrested inside a trailer on Hunter Drive in the Morrisville section of the township and interviewed by police. The 61-year-old admitted there was a “line of meth” in his bedroom, in addition to admitting to having illegal methamphetamine precursor chemicals in his house, police said. He allegedly also said he used to cook methamphetamine in the house.

Barger told police he made and owned the homemade explosives in Co2 containers but said he did not intend to hurt anyone with them, court papers say.

A car belonging to Barger was confiscated and found to have a stun gun in the door pocket, police said.

As for the illegal handgun, Barger said he kept it for protection after someone gave it to him, police said. Court records revealed to authorities that Barger was barred from owning firearms due to a previous conviction.

The charges were filed this week after lab results came back from the crime lab.

Related:

• Explosives, Meth Chemicals, Guns & Stolen Property Uncovered in Investigation, Police Say
• Theft Investigation Led to Possible Meth Lab & Gun Charges

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.