Man charged with possessing meth lab chemicals in Michigan State building

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EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State University scrambled to relocate some final exams after police said they discovered a man inside the school’s largest academic building with household substances that could be used to make methamphetamine.

The 31-year-old man was charged Wednesday with malicious destruction of property and possessing substances to operate a meth lab. Wells Hall has been closed since Monday.

Campus Police Chief Mike Yankowski did not explicitly say investigators discovered an active drug operation inside the building. But in a court filing, police said the substances “destroyed approximately $20,000 or more of Wells Halls, specifically multiple doors and flooring.”

Yankowski declined to say if the man is a student. The police affidavit says he had his expired student ID card. He was ordered to jail on $500,000 cash bond.

Police responding to a trespassing call discovered the man inside the building Sunday night with multiple bags of liquids, which turned out to be hydrochloric acid, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone and butane, the chief said.

“Most of these items are household items,” Yankowski said. “Those products alone might not be dangerous, but if you start mixing chemicals together there is a reaction.”

Michigan State in East Lansing is holding final exams this week followed by graduation events.