A man in Pulaski County has been arrested following a joint investigation by local and state police as well as the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Arkansas man is believed to have been planning a series of violent crimes, which authorities say led him to construct over a dozen homemade explosives. The man now faces 16 counts of possession of a prohibited weapon. If he is found guilty, he could face serious jail time.
The unusual story began when authorities were called in to defuse two homemade bombs that were found at a residence some 1.5 miles from the accused man’s home. The 47-year-old suspect’s home was subsequently searched by ATF authorities and local sheriff’s deputies, where the man allegedly told police he had some 50 homemade explosives buried on his land. Law enforcement reportedly unearthed 14 pipe bombs that were buried in an ammunition crate on the property.
The man also reportedly confessed to possessing and handling the two bombs found at the other residence. Police charged him with 16 counts of prohibited weapon possession, one for each bomb recovered. The man is already involved in other court cases, and has a history of drug-related convictions dating back 14 years.
Of course, his previous convictions cannot play a role in the decision of the Arkansas court regarding his current charges. However, the construction of explosives does not necessarily constitute an intention to commit violent crimes, and it does not appear that anyone was injured with respect to these events. Among other options, his defense team may wish to request a psychiatric evaluation of the defendant to determine whether he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental ailments that could influence his judgment and play a role in this alleged crime.
Source: katv.com, “Central Arkansas man arrested after 16 homemade bombs found“, Scott Carroll, Nick Popham, Accessed on May 11, 2018