Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 18, 1990 TAG: 9005180186
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By NEAL THOMPSON NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Articles he had published on the progress of his studies made him worth his $23,000 research associate's salary, Tech officials said.
So it came as a shock to his colleagues when "red flags" alerted them to the misuse of federally restricted chemicals. Those red flags eventually led Tech police to Campbell.
Campbell, 46, was arrested last week and charged with using about $2,000 worth of those restricted chemicals and other chemicals to make methamphetamine, an illegal drug also known as speed, in Tech's labs.
"He's a superb chemist and a wonderful guy. It's a shame," said James Wolfe, the former head of the chemistry department who has known Campbell for 24 years.
Campbell was charged with manufacturing methamphetamine and possession of the drug with intent to distribute it. His arraignment Wednesday was waived when Blacksburg lawyer Dutton Olinger notified the court that Campbell had hired him.
A preliminary hearing in Montgomery County General District Court in Blacksburg will be scheduled soon.
Campbell has been suspended without pay and termination proceedings are under way, said Tech spokesman Dave Nutter.
The charges have left Tech officials wondering how such a thing could happen. They said privately that personal and financial problems may have lurked behind Campbell's capable on-the-job performance.
"I really don't know what might have been a motive," said Wolfe, who taught Campbell when Campbell earned his doctorate at Tech 20 years ago.
After completing his degree, Campbell joined the Marines, worked in Miami and then taught high school in West Virginia for three years before Wolfe hired him in October 1987.
"He was an experienced chemist who did high-quality work," said Wolfe, who became Tech's vice provost in January.
The case, however, encouraged Tech officials that the system for monitoring the use of restricted chemicals did what it was supposed to do - it worked.
"This problem came up and we resolved it. The system works," Tech Police Chief Mike Jones said.
Tech Purchasing Director Bill Haas said the situation came to light early enough that the university may have prevented the drugs manufactured in the lab from being distributed.
Campbell was arrested after chemistry researchers noticed that chemicals on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's restricted list were being ordered without proper authorization.
The DEA's Chemical Diversion and Trafficking Act, which went into effect last August, requires proper clearance for those who order the 21 chemicals on its list.
Campbell did not have clearance.
On March 16, the chemistry department received a letter from Aldrich Chemical Co. warning that an unauthorized person had tried to order phenyl acetic acid, one of five chemicals used to make methamphetamine.
The order didn't go through. Tech's chemistry department officials then poked around and noticed that labs already were stocked with that acid, but that some was missing.
"That obviously got our attention," Wolfe said.
Wolfe and Haas notified Tech police, who later called in state police.
Further investigation found that Campbell made no mention of phenyl acetic acid in the lab books that researchers use to enter amounts and types of chemicals they use.
"And that got us to thinking," Wolfe said.
Later, they found that Campbell had used about $2,000 from different state and federal research grants to buy other chemicals that combine with the acid to form methamphetamine, Nutter said.
"There's so many pots of money, [he could] take a little bit here, a little bit there," Nutter said.
Police are still investigating whether any illegal drugs were actually sold. If they get enough evidence, more charges are possible, state police Special Agent Cecil Handy said.
Olinger, Campbell's attorney, said, "I don't think there's any evidence of any selling."
Olinger said Campbell was looking for some work and "trying to get himself organized after this shock."
Tech officials are taking steps to further limit the chances of something like this happening again.
Jones said that starting next week, copies of all restricted chemical orders will be sent to police, who will double-check who ordered it and why.
But while the current monitoring system was effective, officials also say Campbell was not very subtle.
"It's real hard to sneak something like that by, but there was no real effort to hide it," Wolfe said.
by CNB