A New York scientist has pleaded guilty to charges related to running a “Breaking Bad”-style methamphetamine lab that police first discovered when he reported a robbery last year.
Matthew Leshinsky, 23, of Farmingville, inadvertently turned himself in when he called police on June 7 around 3:30 a.m. to report a robbery at his business, Quantitative Laboratories, LLC, located in Ronkonkoma, according to the Suffolk County District. Prosecutor's Office.
Suffolk County Police responded to the scene and found broken glass at the entrance to the laboratory. Officers also discovered what appeared to be a clandestine laboratory that was involved in the manufacturing, production and preparation of methamphetamine and dimethyltryptamine, a hallucinogenic substance, as well as other controlled substances.
A search warrant was then obtained for the property and police found more than 100 items of laboratory equipment, chemical reagents and solvents used in the manufacturing, production or preparation of methamphetamine, as well as substances resulting from the production or preparation of methamphetamine.
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Matthew Leshinsky, 23, inadvertently turned himself in when he called police on June 7 around 3:30 a.m. to report a robbery at his business. (Suffolk County District Attorney's Office)
Police also located ecstasy, more than three ounces of methamphetamine, more than 625,000 milligrams of pure ketamine and more than 20 55-gallon plastic drums of gamma-butyrolactone, which is chemically similar to gamma hydroxybutyric acid, also known as “rape in appointment”. drug.”
About $40,000 of the property was also seized when police executed the search warrant.
“This defendant was operating a Breaking Baddrug lab and tried to hide it under the guise of a legitimate business,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a news release, referring to the fictional television series “Breaking Bad,” which that a high school chemistry teacher starts a methamphetamine business. “Then he inadvertently turned himself in when he reported that a robbery had occurred at that same business.”
Leshinsky pleaded guilty Thursday to 13 charges, including unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine, unlawful disposal of methamphetamine laboratory material, criminal possession of methamphetamine manufacturing material and reckless endangerment.
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Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said Matthew Leshinsky was “operating a Breaking Bad-drug lab style.” (James Carbone-Pool/Getty Images)
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He is due back in court for sentencing on March 20.
Despite admitting to manufacturing the drugs, Leshinsky's attorney, David Besso, told Newsday that his client is a “brilliant” scientist who was analyzing drug addiction “for the public good” and denied allegations that he sold methamphetamine in the laboratory.
Besso said Leshinsky applied for a license through the Department of Environmental Conservation but was working without the correct certification at the time of his arrest.
“Unfortunately, he did it the wrong way,” Besso said.
