Hobart man admits having meth; faces up to 40 years in prison

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Updated: February 25, 2012 8:15AM

A Hobart man will plead guilty to one count of possessing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, about seven months after federal officials accused him of running a meth lab out of his house.

According to a plea agreement filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Hammond, Brandon Christopher Lee faces at least five years and up to 40 years in prison on the charge.

An indictment claimed that Lee used his house at 306 Van Buren to make meth with a co-defendant, Kristy Saffa, for more than a year. The two would use other people, also charged in the case, to go buy pseudophedrine tables in “surfing” operations. Indiana law requires people to provide a driver’s license and sign off to purchase pseudophedrine, so the defendants would go to different pharmacies to buy the drug. Lee would pay them and use the tablets to make the meth, the indictment claimed.

The plea agreement says the government will drop the rest of the charges against Lee, which included possession of meth-producing equipment and maintaining a meth lab.

A change of plea hear has not been scheduled yet, according to court records.