Feds Accuse Wyoming Man Of Making Bombs
Documents filed in Wyoming Federal District Court allege that a traffic stop in February led Rock Springs Police to find a pipe bomb.
According to the same filings, Bryan Ronald Foster and Spencer Dale Cottrell are charged with unlawful possession of a destructive device. They face up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted.
A complaint filed in federal court alleges that Rock Springs Police attempted to pull Cottrell over on February 14. When they searched his car, officers reportedly found a pipe bomb.
The Sweetwater County Bomb Squad was called and rendered the pipe safe at the scene.
Court documents describe the bomb as 2 inches in diameter with caps on each end, one end having a fuse coming out.
Police also found a number of firearms in the vehicle, court documents state.
According to the complaint, Cottrell told investigators that the pipe bomb belonged to Foster. Cottrell additionally had a pipe bomb in his Rock Springs residence.
Cottrell allegedly told investigators that he had the pipe bombs because he was not going back to prison. He also reportedly said Foster had several pipe bombs in a loft above a bar and liquor store.
The complaint states Foster told authorities that he showed Cottrell how to make a pipe bomb but never assembled one.
When police searched Foster's residence, they allegedly found a suspected pipe bomb in the floor of the bedroom.
They also found:
- One 5-gallon container of suspected ammonium nitrate
- BBs located inside the container of ammonium nitrate
- A 410 shotgun
- Four black mortar plastic pipes
- A methamphetamine pipe
The complaint alleges Foster told police he wasn't sure how the bomb ended up in his residence.
According to the complaint, Cottrell told investigators that he kept the pipe bomb in plain view and would tell people that the bomb was his insurance not to go back to prison.
Authorities also reportedly found two more pipe bombs in another Rock Springs residence.
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