Two men plead guilty in has oil apartment explosion near Kenmore boundary

Two Kirkland men pleaded guilty Nov. 26 to running a hash oil operation out of a Inglenook apartments, which resulted in an explosion at the complex last year.

By Matt Phelps • December 1, 2014 1:29 pm
Fire investigators survey the damage from an explosion and fire in December of last year.
Fire investigators survey the damage from an explosion and fire in December of last year.

Two Kirkland men pleaded guilty Nov. 26 to running a hash oil operation out of a Inglenook apartments, which resulted in an explosion at the complex last year. The apartments are on the boundary of Kirkland and Kenmore. The explosion and fire threw debris some 25 feet, moved the north wall of the building 6-8 inches, and disconnected the roof from the building walls.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced charges against several alleged hash oil manufacturers in the region in July, part of “Operation Shattered.”

Robby W. Meiser, 46, and Bruce W. Mark, 62, pleaded guilty in federal court to endangering human life while manufacturing hash oil and marijuana.

Meiser and Mark were charged in July. The endangering human life is punishable by up to ten years in prison. Maintaining a drug involved premises is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and manufacturing hash oil and marijuana is punishable by up to five years in prison.

The cases were investigated by multiple local and federal agencies including: the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bellevue Police Department, the Seattle Police Department and the Kirkland Police Department.