Man Admits To Running ''Breaking Bad'-Style' Drug Lab: Suffolk DA

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — A Farmingville man admitted to making methamphetamine and other illicit drugs at his business, Quantitative Laboratories, LLC, in Ronkonkoma, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced Thursday.

Matthew Leshinsky, 23, pleaded guilty to third-degree unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine and other related charges in connection with the drug bust, Tierney said.

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

Tierney thanked the Suffolk County police officers who "keenly identified evidence of a clandestine drug lab" during their first response to the business, as well as the DA Office's prosecutors and other law enforcement members. The DA said Leshinsky will be held accountable for "the deadly drugs he put out onto the streets of Suffolk County."

At 3:30 a.m. June 7, Leshinsky called 911 to report a burglary in progress at his business, investigators said.

Suffolk County Police Department’s Fifth Precinct officers found broken glass at the entrance of the lab, officials said. While the officers continued investigating, they discovered what appeared to be a clandestine laboratory that was involved in the manufacture, production, and preparation of methamphetamine and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a hallucinogenic substance, as well as other controlled substances, authorities said.

Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and found more than 100 items of laboratory equipment, chemical reagents and solvents used to manufacture, produce, or prepare
methamphetamine, as well as substances that resulted from the production or preparation of methamphetamine, prosecutors said.

Police also recovered $40K in cash, a quantity of MDMA (ecstasy), over 3 ounces of methamphetamine, over 625,000 milligrams of pure ketamine, and over 20 plastic 55 gallon drums containing Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), which is chemically similar to Gamma hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), often times referred to as the "date rape drug."

Leshinsky pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, one count of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, three counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, two counts of third-degree unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine, one count of unlawful disposal of methamphetamine laboratory material, one count of second-degree criminal possession of methamphetamine manufacturing material, two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and one count of second-degree reckless endangerment.

Leshinsky is due back in court for sentencing on March 20. He is being represented by David Besso.