Two Plead Guilty To Operating Cranston Meth Lab

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Nicholas Selser, 33, and Michael Fortes, 48, of Cranston, R.I., have pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to the manufacture of (meth) inside a residence at the D’Evan Manor housing complex in Cranston, announced Michael J. Ferguson Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England and United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Cranston Police Chief Colonel Michael J. Winquist.

Selser and Fortes pleaded guilty as charged in a grand jury indictment returned in March 2015, to one count each of conspiracy, knowingly manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine and possessing equipment to manufacture methamphetamine.

Fortes, who entered his guilty plea on Wednesday, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on October 9, 2015. Selser, who pleaded guilty on June 29, 2015, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on September 18, 2015.

According to court documents and information presented to the court, Cranston Police, the R.I. DEA Drug Task Force and a DEA Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Team executed a court authorized search of the D’Evan Manor apartment on February 18, 2015, and seized various chemicals, supplies and items used in the manufacture of meth.

Evidence was seized which indicated that the defendants had manufactured meth inside the apartment of the densely populated complex approximately 11 times on prior occasions. The defendants admitted to the court that they used the “one pot” method to manufacture meth, a simple but potentially dangerous method of manufacturing meth in approximately one hour.  The manufacture of methamphetamine is often times a dangerous process which may result in explosion or fire.

Selser and Fortes have been detained in federal custody since their arrest on February 18, 2015.