OBN seizes 1,330 pounds of marijuana, firearms in raid tied to Sand Springs explosion
SAND SPRINGS, Okla. (KOKH) — An Oklahoma district attorney is calling on state leaders to do more about 'black market marijuana' following a deadly explosion in Sand Springs.
Around 1:14 a.m. on Thursday, officers with the Sand Springs Police Department responded to an explosion at the Morrow Gill Business Complex.
When they arrived, they realized a local business had been severely damaged.
As emergency crews were processing the scene, they found 28-year-old Stephen Scott deceased and 41-year-old Michael Newman injured.
Newman was rushed to a local hospital, but passed away from his injuries.
Investigators learned that both victims were employees of the business, which was a marijuana processing facility.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, along with several other agencies, began processing the scene to determine what caused the explosion.
Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler says the explosion was the result of manufacturing controlled dangerous substances at "Solos Extracts."
The owner of the business, 35-year-old Ryan Bassham, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
He was released from jail on a $2 million bond.
On Monday, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics executed a search warrant on Bassham's property in Creek County.
During the search, OBN agents seized approximately 1,330 pounds of processed marijuana product, approximately 140 pounds of marijuana batter, two firearms, and other evidence officials say is consistent with manufacturing marijuana products outside the regulated market.
Bassham was arrested again and charged with aggravated trafficking of marijuana, aggravated manufacturing of marijuana, and the use of a firearm while in the commission of a felony.
He is now being held without bond.
Kunzweiler says his office is currently taking action to revoke Bassham's bond in the Tulsa County case as well.
He says this serves as a reminder that Oklahoma has a "black market" marijuana problem, and he is calling on the Oklahoma Legislature to address the problem in the next legislative session.
The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority issued the following statement:
The death of two individuals is a terrible tragedy. Lives were lost as a result of unsafe, illegal business operations and an individual involved with the business faces criminal charges.
As a regulatory body, OMMA routinely inspects all licensed medical marijuana businesses. During the most recent inspection of Solos Extract Company LLC, the agency determined that the business was nonoperational and found no evidence of illicit activity. Had OMMA inspectors suspected illicit activity or identified threats to public health and safety, the agency would have immediately shut down the operation and filed an administrative case against the licensee — as it has done in at least 4,000 other instances.
OMMA, along with law enforcement across the state, has worked to comply with Gov. Stitt’s call to crack down on the industry while adhering to state statute. Today, there are fewer than 4,000 licensed businesses, down from 13,000 at the industry’s peak.