MENOMINEE — A Menominee man was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison on April 26 after the meth lab he was operating exploded on April 7.

Donald Mark “Tooter” Myers, age 51, was convicted by plea of possession of methamphetamine on Feb. 5 According to court documents and information presented in open court, the suspected laboratory was located at 1012 18th Avenue in the city of Menominee. After the explosion, the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET) conducted an investigation and executed search warrants at the location and at 2411 10th Avenue in Menominee.

As a result of the investigation, UPSET seized ingredients and equipment needed to manufacture methamphetamine, including lithium strips, “Liquid Fire” drain line opener, Coleman camp fuel, soda bottles containing white powder with rubber tubing, coffee filters, and other components used in the “one pot” meth manufacturing process.

“Methamphetamine is unsafe to produce and unsafe to use. This activity, especially in residential neighborhoods, has the potential to damage property and jeopardize the health and safety of law-abiding citizens of Menominee, by mixing these dangerous chemicals,” said said Menominee County Prosecutor Jeffery Rogg, who announced the prison sentence in a press release.

Rogg also noted Myer’s prior criminal record.

“Mr. Myers is an incorrigible, unrepentant criminal, who now has four felony convictions and 15 misdemeanor convictions in a 35-year history of uninterrupted criminal behavior. The only way the community can be safe from Mr. Myers is for him to be locked in a prison cell,” he said.