March 02--WATERLOO -- A man who burned his hands in 2011 when a methamphetamine lab caught fire in a Waterloo apartment building has been sentenced to prison.
Judge George Stigler sentenced Michael Lee Newell, 33, to up to 50 years in prison in connection with the Center Street fire as well as for collecting meth ingredients as part of an unrelated incident and a firearm burglary.
Newell's attorney, Ronald Langford, told the court his client has a drug problem that is behind his legal troubles.
"He has to deal with this issue," Langford said.
Newell pleaded guilty to first-degree arson, conspiracy to manufacture meth possession of meth precursors following a Dec. 21, 2011, fire that broke out at 428 Center St. and landed him in the burn unit in Iowa City. Another person reported having breathing problems.
He also pleaded to conspiracy to manufacture meth and possession of lithium after he allegedly took lye and lithium batteries from Menards and allegedly planned to pass them to another person to make meth in June 2012.
Charges of second-degree burglary and felon in possession of a firearm that Newell pleaded to were connected to a December 2013 break-in on Beverly Hill Street where six handguns were taken.
He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the meth lab fire added to 15 years for the Menards incident and 10 years for the gun burglaries. He will have to serve about nine years in prison before he can be considered for parole.
He was also sentenced to a concurrent five years for using a stolen debit card to rack up $4,000 worth of purchases in December 2013.
Another man arrested in the meth lab fire, Joseph Ammon Helms, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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