Federal charges for man connected to May 2020 Pueblo West house explosion
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office Detectives announced Tuesday a man faces federal charges in connection to a 2020 home explosion in Pueblo West that was caused by an illegal butane hash oil operation.
On May 5, 2020, deputies responded to a home at 994 S. Tierra Buena Dr. on the report of an explosion. At the scene, deputies found an attached garage on fire.
According to the sheriff's office, 41-year-old Jeremiah Bo Bryant was home at the time and suffered burns in the incident, but has since recovered.
During the investigation, detectives found the fire occurred as a result of an explosion of an illegal butane hash oil operation that was set up in the garage and a back room of the rental home.
The sheriff's office says detectives executed a search warrant and found further evidence of a hash oil manufacturing operation that included tubs of marijuana product, hash oil, extensive equipment used in the making of butane hash oil, including several butane tanks. Investigators learned the hash oil operation was used to produce vape cartridges.
Bryant was arrested Monday on a federal warrant issued following a November 2020 Federal Grand Jury indictment on four felony counts related to the incident.
Bryant was booked into the Pueblo County Jail. He was charged with the following:
- Manufacture, possession with intent to manufacture and possession with intent to distribute quantities of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) 21 USC 841 (a) (1), (b) (1) (C).
- Manufacture and possession with intent to manufacture a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of marijuana 21 USC 841 (a)(1), (b) (1) (D)
- Maintaining a drug-involved premises 21 USC 856(a)(1)
- Endangering human life while illegally manufacturing controlled substances 21USC 858
According to the sheriff's office, the rental home suffered extensive damage and was condemned by Pueblo Regional Building.
