A northern Nevada man who was hospitalized after an explosion in his kitchen has been arrested on federal charges accusing him of illegally trying to make butane hash oil.
U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson said Thursday a grand jury convicted 22-year-old Adam Fitzgerald-Wermes of Gardnerville of one count of endangering human life while manufacturing a controlled substance.
Prosecutors say he was using highly flammable butane gas to try to extract concentrated THC from marijuana plants to make a wax-like substance at his apartment on Jan. 14.
Fitzgerald-Wermes made his initial appearance in Reno Thursday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie Cooke. She scheduled his trial for May 8.
Court records don't indicate if he has a lawyer or will be appointed a public defender. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
