A 26-year-old man who was tossed into the air by a hash oil explosion he caused in 2015 pleaded guilty this week to fourth-degree arson, a felony charge, and faces up to six years in prison.
Ryne Wilhelmi on Monday admitted causing the the April 29, 2015, explosion.
Wilhelmi was a renting an Eagle County home when he caused a flash fire and explosion while processing marijuana into concentrate, according to the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s office.
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A witness reported hearing a large explosion, then seeing Wilhelmi fly through the air, investigators said. Wilhelmi suffered severe burns, prosecutors said.
“Marijuana processing is a volatile activity that should only be done by licensed professionals,” District Attorney Bruce Brown said in a statement. “The legalized hash oil ‘boom’ should not be allowed to take morph into actual explosions. I have determined because of the lethality of the activity that anyone guilty of this crime will have a serious felony on their record for life, as will this defendant.”
Wilhelmi is slated to be sentenced in March.
