6A • COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • NOVEMBER 21, 2018
Plea reached in butane explosion
Eric L. Scully, 35, of Cot-
tage Grove, Oregon, pleaded
guilty today to endangering
human life and illegally pos-
sessing and manufacturing
marijuana aft er a November
2017 butane honey oil (BHO)
explosion in Cottage Grove.
“Manufacturing hash oil
is extremely dangerous and
poses a grave risk of injury or
death to producers and un-
knowing, innocent victims.
Federal authorities will con-
tinue targeting BHO produc-
ers and the illicit distribution
networks providing them
with butane gas. Together
with our local partners, we
will put an end to this severe
public safety threat,” said Billy
J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for
the District of Oregon.
“Th is investigation high-
lights the signifi cant dangers
that these extraction oper-
ations pose,” stated Keith
Weis, DEA Special Agent in
Charge of the Pacifi c North-
west Region. He further add-
ed, “Th is explosive event in
Cottage Grove’s community
was caused by highly reckless
criminal activities surround-
ing butane honey oil (BHO)
production, this time we were
very lucky that lives were not
lost.”
According to court doc-
uments, on November 16,
2017, the Cottage Grove Po-
lice and Fire Departments
responded to an explosion at
a storage facility in Cottage
Grove. Offi cers found Scully
at a local hospital where he
was being treated for serious
burn injuries.
Investigators later learned
that, at the time of the ex-
plosion, at least three other
individuals were inside the
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COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL FILE PHOTO
facility.
Two days later, Cottage
Grove Police and U.S. Drug
Enforcement
Administra-
tion (DEA) agents executed a
search warrant at the storage
facility. Inside, they found a
large, sophisticated, and un-
licensed BHO extraction lab.
BHO is a concentrated form
of marijuana extracted using
highly fl ammable or combus-
tible solvents.
During the search, agents
found more than 1,900
pounds of marijuana bud and
shake, 728 marijuana plants
and over 80 pounds of mari-
juana extract. Each plant was
either mature or had leaves
and readily observable root
formation.
Th e investigation deter-
mined that while manufac-
turing BHO, one of Scully’s
machines, located in a room
containing
combustibles,
caught fi re.
Th e machine and com-
bustibles exploded, injuring
Scully and placing the other
individuals present at sub-
stantial risk of harm.
Scully faces up to 40 years
in prison with a fi ve-year
mandatory minimum sen-
tence, a $5 million fi ne and
a mandatory four-year term
of supervised release. Th e
U.S. Attorney’s Offi ce and
defense counsel are jointly
recommending a non-bind-
ing, 87-month sentence for
Scully who will be sentenced
on Feb. 21, 2019, before U.S.
District Court Judge Michael
J. McShane.
As part of the plea agree-
ment, Scully agrees to pay
restitution to each victim as
determined by the court, in-
cluding payments for proper-
ty damage, physical injuries
caused by the explosion and
the reimbursement of insur-
ance companies. Scully also
agreed to forfeit $25,980 in
criminal proceeds and a pick-
up truck and trailer used to
facilitate his crimes.
Th is case was investigat-
ed by DEA and the Cottage
Grove Police Department. It
is being prosecuted by Gavin
W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. At-
torney for the District of Or-
egon.
American Legion to host holday bazaar
Holiday
A Holiday Bazaar will be
held Saturday, Dec 8, from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday,
Dec. 9, from10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
at the American Legion Hall,
826 W. Main St. in Cottage
Grove.
An eclectic assortment of
new, used, holiday and one-of-
a-kind items will be for sale.
All proceeds will stay in this
community and help to fund
the nonprofi t organizations
of Soup’s On, which provides
www.
CGSintinil.
com
free community Sunday din-
ners, and Tucker’s Cupboard,
providing fi nancial aid for K9
medical needs.
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First responders arrive on scene after the BHO explosion on Nov. 16, 2017.
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Friday &
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Saturday
Friday
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10am-5pm
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THANKSGIVING
WEEKEND
Michili Monroi, LCSW
Counseling Services
541-255-8822
1450 Birch Ave
Cottage Grove, OR 97424
Hand-Crafted Items!
Movies for Kids!
Food!
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Thurston High School
333 N. 58th St
Springfield, OR 97478
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