Man Charged with Manufacturing 'Honey Oil'

By City News Service:

A convicted felon accused of making hashish and beating up his girlfriend in their San Jacinto home was charged Thursday with manufacturing illegal drugs and inflicting corporal injury on an intimate partner.

James Earl Ferns, 22, was arrested Tuesday morning after Riverside County sheriff’s deputies conducted an investigation at his residence in the 1100 block of Arrowhead Avenue.

Ferns was arraigned in Banning before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jorge Hernandez, who appointed him a public defender prior to taking his plea on the felony counts. Hernandez scheduled a felony settlement conference for May 4 and ordered the defendant held on $50,000 bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Craig McDonald, deputies were sent to the defendant’s house shortly after 6 a.m. Tuesday to investigate reports of a domestic disturbance. When they arrived, deputies heard a “major altercation” inside the residence and confronted Ferns, who was detained without incident, McDonald said.

Deputies learned the defendant had a pending arrest warrant from San Bernardino County for alleged probation violations. While inside Ferns’ house, deputies spotted evidence of drug manufacturing, McDonald said.

“A search warrant was obtained and served,” the sergeant said. “Deputies discovered a functioning butane honey oil lab, along with a sizable amount of marijuana, concentrated cannabis, multiple cases of butane gas, numerous other items associated with the manufacturing of concentrated cannabis and a large bag of ‘magic mushrooms.”’

The process of developing concentrated cannabis, also known as “wax” and hashish, involves extracting oil from marijuana plants using butane, which can be explosive.

McDonald said all of the contraband was seized.

According to court records, Ferns has a 2012 conviction for domestic abuse out of San Bernardino County.