Riverside, California – A couple involved in operating a marijuana honey oil lab that caused an explosion at a Riverside apartment complex have pleaded guilty to manufacturing illicit drugs. Lisa Marie Twyman, 44, and Benjamin Andrew Leach, 41, entered their guilty pleas to a felony count each, as part of separate plea agreements with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Twyman faced a single count, while Leach had a charge of recklessly causing a fire in an inhabited structure dropped in exchange for his admission.
The presiding Superior Court Judge Gail O’Rane approved the plea deals and sentenced Twyman to 200 days in a sheriff’s work release program. During this time, she must either be employed or attending a vocational program full-time, alongside serving 24 months of felony probation. Leach’s sentencing was postponed to June 4, and he remains free on a $50,000 bond. Their co-defendant, Cutter James Mendonca, 25, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substances for sale and being a felon in possession of a firearm, resulting in a 16-month sentence in state prison.
Following reports of an explosion, emergency responders were dispatched to the defendants’ apartment complex in Riverside, near Canyon Crest Drive, on March 1, 2021. The explosion caused significant damage to the building, with evidence of an illegal honey oil lab discovered, including butane canisters, hash oil extract, and marijuana plants. The manufacturing process for honey oil involves the use of butane gas, posing a high risk of ignition due to its flammable nature.
Honey oil, also referred to as “wax” or “hash,” is a concentrated form of marijuana extracted using butane stoves. The incident not only damaged Twyman and Leach’s apartment but also affected neighboring units, displacing residents. Leach sustained severe burn injuries from the explosion, requiring extended care at Arrowhead Regional Burn Center. Mendonca was apprehended in the apartment complex parking lot, where a concealed firearm and narcotics packaged for sale were found in his vehicle.
The dangers of home-based honey oil manufacturing are well-documented in the Inland Empire, with numerous explosions and fires reported in the region. To address this issue, the District Attorney’s Office released a series of public service announcements in 2017, outlining the risks and consequences associated with producing honey oil. The destructive nature of these operations underscores the importance of raising awareness about the hazards posed by illicit drug manufacturing.