St. Louis County man charged after fire crews found explosive device, drug lab in basement, police say
ST. LOUIS COUNTY — A homeowner was arrested Friday after crews putting out a fire in his home found a meth lab, an improvised explosive device and gun parts made from a 3-D printer, authorities said.
St. Louis County prosecutors charged Andrew W. Montgomery with unlawful possession, transport, repair or sale of an illegal weapon. Montgomery, 40, lives at a home in the 12100 block of Lake Constance Drive.
He was held in the St. Louis County jail Saturday in lieu of $1 million cash-only bond.
Firefighters arrived at his home around 12:30 a.m. Friday and found light smoke in the area near the single-story home. They went inside and found smoke on the first floor and in the walkout basement. Montgomery had left earlier and there was no one in the house at the time the fire crews arrived, authorities said.
Residents in five or six nearby homes were told to evacuate after crews found the hazardous materials in the home's basement early Friday, said Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Jason McIntosh of the Creve Coeur Fire Protection District.
No one was injured, and St. Louis County police said there was no "immediate danger" to the community. The home is in unincorporated St. Louis County, between Craig Road and Interstate 270.
According to St. Louis County police, one of the fire crews found vials in the basement containing "unknown chemicals and substances, tanks, beakers" and other equipment typically used for a chemical lab.
A hazardous materials team began removing the equipment and "realized there was evidence of narcotics manufacturing," police said. One container consisted of a pipe with externally threaded end caps and fuse, which authorities said was an improvised explosive device, police said. They also found homemade firearms, including firearms equipment made from a 3-D printer, court documents allege.
Detectives from the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit investigated the case. Police said Montgomery admitted having an improvised explosive device, using meth daily and making firearm components on his printer. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records Saturday.
Court records did not explain what he planned to do with those devices or say what started the fire that brought crews to his home on Friday.
The felony Montgomery is charged with carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
On Thursday, the day before the fire, St. Louis County police cited Montgomery for a September peace disturbance. Police and neighbors had asked him not to work on his vehicles or rev his motorcycles at night at his Lake Constance home, but he continued, the court document alleged. A court hearing for the ordinance violation was set for Nov. 19.
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