Colorado Springs man sentenced to 6 years after hash oil explosion
A Colorado Springs man was sentenced Monday to six years in prison after an illegal hash oil lab caused an explosion at his house in February.
Edward J. Kiley pleaded guilty to one count of marijuana concentrate-hazardous extract, according to the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
A blast at Kiley’s house at Vermijo and Prospect avenues rocked the neighborhood in mid-February. Police arrested him and also found M-series explosive devices inside his house and vehicle, according to an arrest affidavit.
Kiley also had a previous felony charge for explosives in 2012 after causing an explosion at the same house in 2011.
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Court records say a Colorado Springs man whose house exploded Friday night had multiple explosive devices and there’s evidence that he was illegally making marijuana concentrates, a process that has a history of causing explosions.
Edward Kiley was arrested following the blast at Vermijo and Prospect avenues, and records show he also has a history of causing explosions.
Kiley pleaded guilty in 2012 to a class-four felony explosives charge and was sentenced to four years in the Department of Corrections after causing an explosion at the same house in December 2011.
After Friday’s explosion, investigators found a total of eight M-series explosive devices in Kiley’s house and vehicle, according to an arrest affidavit. They varied in design and size but they were all homemade with flammable chemicals and hobby fuses. One of the devices used an igniter from a model rocket.
When firefighters first looked through the house, they found cups with nuts, bolts, and small round BBs, along with electronics commonly used in the making of explosive devices. Officers also found a BB gun and several rifles in the house, according to the affidavit.
When investigators got to the area where the blast occurred, they noticed equipment used to make marijuana concentrate using butane. They also found concentrate residue on televisions near the blast area, according to the affidavit. The finished concentrate was found in a freezer.
Kiley was slightly injured during the explosion, but no other injuries were reported.
Kiley was charged with class-two felony extraction of marijuana concentrate, class-four felony possession of explosive devices, class-five felony possession of a weapon by previous offender, and class-four felony hazardous substance incident.
