Spirit Lake man arrested for alleged meth lab

POST FALLS - A 52-year-old Spirit Lake man was arrested at a Post Falls hotel early Wednesday for allegedly operating a methamphetamine lab.

Patrick James Potter, arrested at the Riverbend Inn, was being held on Wednesday at the Kootenai County jail on a $500,000 bond. He was booked for manufacturing drugs and possession of a controlled substance.

A Post Falls Police officer noticed Potter's truck at the hotel about 1 a.m. Potter, who has a lengthy drug history, was on probation and was also believed to be staying in Post Falls lately.

"The officer was curious that, if he was staying in Post Falls (at a home), why was he at the Riverbend Inn?" Post Falls police Capt. Greg McLean said.

When the officer responded to the room, Potter, who was on probation, was inside along with two Post Falls men.

Potter's probation officer was called to the motel. The two officers found evidence of a meth lab, including glass jars with liquid inside.

Potter has a history of delivering and possessing drugs dating back to 1995.

The two men with Potter hadn't been arrested as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Post Falls and probation officers were decontaminated at Kootenai Medical Center due to exposure to the lab, McLean said.

There were no injuries.

Idaho State Police cleaned up the lab later Wednesday morning.

Police said it's the first local meth lab bust since last fall. Police suspect that meth labs have tapered because it can be less expensive to buy the drug than make it.