Former Security Guard Admits to Cooking Meth in Federal Lab

Former security officer Christopher Bartley, 41, who was accused of causing an explosion while trying to make the illicit drug methamphetamine at a federal laboratory last month, pleaded guilty, The Guardian reported.

Bartley was working as a security guard at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland at the time of the incident, which took place July 18. Bartley's lawyer described the misconduct as "unauthorized experiment."

US attorney Rod Rosenstein said in statement: "Methamphetamine is unsafe to produce and unsafe to use. Bartley damaged government property and jeopardized the health and safety of NIST employees by mixing dangerous chemicals."

Bartley, while trying to make meth in the lab, ended up causing a chemical-induced explosion, which shattered windows and increased the temperature high enough to turn the heat alarm on. He then ran away from the building and tried to get rid of the items he used for cooking the meth by throwing those in dumpsters around the lab.

Authorities found some of those items while they were searching for clues in the trash around the facilities. Some of these clues included safety glasses, gas mask, rubber gloves and a coffee grinder contaminated with a white powder, The Guardian said.

While the police were searching Bartley's car, they retrieved a book, which had his notes about the materials needed to make meth. Prosecutors reported that Bartley later admit to attempting to cook meth.

Although there were only five grams of meth found in the scene, Bartley can still face up to 20 years in prison. He will be sentenced for the crime on November 19, The Guardian reported.