Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 8, 1990 TAG: 9005080458
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By NEAL THOMPSON NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
James A. Campbell, 46, of 1900 Terrace View in Blacksburg, was arrested at one of the chemical labs in Davidson Hall by Tech and state police, who joined forces in the investigation.
Campbell was charged with manufacturing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He was in the Montgomery County Jail on Monday in lieu of $10,000 cash or $20,000 property bond.
Tech officials immediately suspended him without pay and have begun proceedings to fire him.
Campbell, whose salary is $23,000, was not a teacher. He was hired in October 1987 to conduct research on polymers under the direction of the former head of the chemistry department, James F. Wolfe.
Wolfe, who became vice provost in November, was on a retreat Monday and could not be reached for comment. But a Tech news release quoted him as saying, "This is an extremely unfortunate incident. We closely monitor use of chemicals and are gratified our systems of checks works and this activity was discovered."
Tech police began investigating "suspicious activity in a university chemistry laboratory" about a month ago, when they discovered that a large amount of an acid was being ordered through the university but was not accounted for, said Darrel Martin, assistant to President James McComas.
Because the acid is considered a restricted chemical and is under review by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, there are strict controls to monitor its use in laboratories, Martin said, including logbooks and diaries. "Apparently the input and outtake did not match up" in the logbooks, Martin said.
State police were asked to help in the investigation, and an inventory of chemicals in one of Tech's 100 labs revealed that some were unaccounted for.
When Campbell was arrested about 9 a.m., police found a "suspicious substance," a white powder, which has been sent to a state police lab for analysis, Martin said.
The raw form of methamphetamine is a white powder that is later diluted or "cut" and converted into pills or other forms.
Martin said Campbell was not charged with selling methamphetamine and there was no evidence of sales to students.
Tech Chief Mike Jones said the investigation was continuing.
by CNB