Long Island 'Breaking Bad'-Style Meth Lab Scientist Gets 4 Years In Prison: Report

RIVERSIDE, NY — A Farmingville scientist prosecutors say was running a meth lab in the style of the television show, "Breaking Bad," was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison, Newsday reported.

Matthew Leshinsky, 23, pleaded guilty to third-degree unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine and other related charges in connection with the 2023 drug bust in February, District Attorney Ray Tierney said after the plea.

"This defendant was operating a 'Breaking Bad'-style drug lab and tried to conceal it under the guise of a legitimate business," he said. "He inadvertently turned himself in when he reported that a burglary occurred at that same business."

Leshinsky called 911 at about 3:30 a.m. on June 7, 2023, to report a burglary in progress at "his purported business establishment," and when officers from the 5th Precinct responded, they saw broken glass at the entrance of the lab, prosecutors said.

While the officers continued investigating, they discovered "what appeared to be a clandestine laboratory" involved in the manufacture, production, and preparation of methamphetamine and dimethyltryptamine, a hallucinogenic substance, amongst other controlled substances, according to prosecutors.

Over 100 items of laboratory equipment and chemical reagents and solvents used in the manufacture, production, or preparation of methamphetamine, as well as substances resulting from the production or preparation of methamphetamine were found during a search of the property, prosecutors said.

Police also allegedly recovered $40,000, ecstasy, over three ounces of methamphetamine, over 625,000 milligrams of pure Ketamine, and over 20 plastic 55-gallon drums containing Gamma-butyrolactone, which is chemically similar to Gamma hydroxybutyric acid, often referred to as the “date rape drug,” according to prosecutors.

Leshinsky's attorney, David Besso of Bay Shore, told Newsday his client is a scientist researching drug addiction and never sold meth out of the lab and that he previously studied chemistry at Hofstra University and had done research for multiple corporations.

“Elon Musk is using ketamine. The U.S. Army is using hallucinogenic drugs and magic mushrooms for PTSD,” he told the outlet. “And the DA's office is looking to put scientists and entrepreneurs in jail for doing additional research on drugs to aid the public with whatever maladies they may have. From the inception of this case, they looked at Matt Leshinsky as a drug dealer when there was no evidence that he sold drugs to anybody.”

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