Soldier arrested after C-4 explosives found

[TripleDigitRide]

http://www.wkrn.com/global/story.asp?s=11427126

Soldier arrested after C-4 explosives found

Posted: Nov 02, 2009 11:50 AM CST

Updated: Nov 02, 2009 3:00 PM CST

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - An Army Special Forces soldier has been arrested following the discovery of about 100 pounds of explosives at his Tennessee home.

Federal and military officials searched his home early Monday morning after a pair of hunters found the C-4, a plastic explosive, in a field off Johnson Road outside Clarksville.

The soldier, who was not identified, is based at nearby Ft. Campbell.

Maj. April Olsen, a spokeswoman for Army Special Forces at Ft. Campbell, said the soldier is currently being held in the county jail.

Ted Denny, spokesman for the Montgomery County sheriff, said the explosives found Sunday appeared to be military ordnance.

More information is expected later Monday afternoon.

*The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Daniel]

Nice.

[Guest Muttling]

What about detonators, det chord, time fuse, etc? If he stole some C-4, he's likely to have stole what he needs to make it go bang.

[Guest m&pc9]

If it was legal.

I think that C4 would be fun to play with.

[Kelemvor]

Busted. Probably one of those right wing terrorists.

[Semiauto]

100 lbs of C-4 is a big bang! 26,400 feet per second.

[Guest Swamprunner]

What about detonators, det chord, time fuse, etc? If he stole some C-4, he's likely to have stole what he needs to make it go bang.

Aw, he wuz jest gonna have a little fun. Really, though, where's the other stuff??!! I can see taking a little to screw around with, but this kid is up to no good.

[Currently]

So much for catching some fish ....

[Mr. Brooks]

SF soldier arrested after C-4 found near house

By Erik Schelzig and Kristin M. Hall - The Associated Press

Posted : Monday Nov 2, 2009 19:38:13 EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Special Forces soldier was arrested Monday after a pair of hunters found about 100 pounds of explosives outside his home near Fort Campbell.

Timothy Ryan Richards was charged with possessing two unregistered guns, and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent Eric Kehn said he expects Richards will face more charges related to the explosives.

A sworn statement said agents found about 100 pounds of explosives — including C-4, a plastic explosive commonly used by the military. The material was sealed in watertight containers and partially buried near his home outside of Clarksville, near the sprawling Army post on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line.

Joel Siskovic, a spokesman for the FBI in Tennessee, said agents from the Joint Terrorism Task Force were called to the scene, but determined there was no terrorism connection.

According to police, two hunters found the explosives early Sunday morning and alerted the sheriff’s department.

ATF agents contacted Richards and he told agents that he had placed the explosives there, according to the affidavit.

Agents also found a 5.56mm caliber rifle and a .45 caliber machine gun inside his home.

Maj. April Olsen, a spokeswoman for the Army Special Forces at Fort Campbell, confirmed that he was a member of the 5th Special Forces Group, but his age and rank weren’t immediately available.

He appeared in court handcuffed in green coveralls. U.S. Magistrate Clifton Knowles ordered the federal public defender’s office to represent him and that he be held until a hearing Thursday.

He didn’t make any statements, but acknowledged to the judge that he understand the charge. He faces a maximum 10 years in prison if convicted on the weapons charge.

Another Fort Campbell soldier was arrested in October and charged with selling four stolen hand grenades and a stolen anti-tank rocket to an undercover officer in Tennessee.

Prosecutors said the transaction with Pfc. Joshua Bartlett Etherton, a 101st Airborne Division soldier, was arranged after police in the small town of Paris received a tip, but they would not say who he believed was the buyer.

He remains held without bond.

I wonder what the "unregistered" guns were?

[56FordGuy]

I wonder what the "unregistered" guns were?

The article mentioned "Agents also found a 5.56mm caliber rifle and a .45 caliber machine gun inside his home."

I'd guess maybe an M4 and whatever the .45 was. I'd think NFA items either way.

Or, liberal media spin. Coin toss, could be either...

[ioerror001]

Agents also found a 5.56mm caliber rifle and a .45 caliber machine gun inside his home

From the article

My guess would be a 5.56 rifle (m16) and a .45 caliber machine gun (mac 10, thompson similar)

[BryanG]

I read in another site that one rifle was a 5.56 with barrel shorter than 16" and the other was an automatic Swedish K.

[Mr. Brooks]

I read in another site that one rifle was a 5.56 with barrel shorter than 16" and the other was an automatic Swedish K.

That would make sense.

[Guest Muttling]

The article mentioned "Agents also found a 5.56mm caliber rifle and a .45 caliber machine gun inside his home."

I'd guess maybe an M4 and whatever the .45 was. I'd think NFA items either way.

Or, liberal media spin. Coin toss, could be either...

We still had some M-3's in service during GW1, that's the only one I can think of it being. As I understand it, those (along with several other weapons) were replaced by the M-4's.

[Guest KarlS]

Sounds like the Special Forces at Ft. Campbell have a side business. Ok. Which one of you is buying this stuff?

[Kelemvor]

Lol, ".45 caliber machine gun", all I can think of is a UMP or a Thompson.

[Guest Bartman]

Sound's like a liberal leftist to me.

[Guest jackdm3]

Did I miss something? How did the "hunters" "stumble" onto it? It must have been a considerable distance from his house for it to be discovered, otherwise is there a trespassing charge here? Did they say he didn't have NFA for the hardware?

[hardknox00001]

For being in the special forces, seems to me that he would have had thought out a better concealment/storage situation. Knowing that what he had would get him in trouble, it doesn't appear alot of thought went into his plan. I hope he is not the "norm" as to smarts in the special forces.

[Daniel]

I maybe heard stories about back forty caches in my day but those always were whispered to have been buried deep on public land with 10 digit grid coordinates.

[Guest Muttling]

Lol, ".45 caliber machine gun", all I can think of is a UMP or a Thompson.

M3A1 Grease Gun

[Guest Muttling]

For being in the special forces, seems to me that he would have had thought out a better concealment/storage situation. Knowing that what he had would get him in trouble, it doesn't appear alot of thought went into his plan. I hope he is not the "norm" as to smarts in the special forces.

Just because he was in a special forces unit doesn't mean he was a special operations soldier. These units have a large number of support personnel who don't go through special operations training.

He could have been a combat engineer, EOD, or some other MOS assinged to 5th Special Forces that gave him access to the ASP and allowed him to check out explosives.

Speaking of which, 2 people are required to check out explosives from the magazine and 2 are required to document their use. If he stole 100lbs, that's quite a few 1 1/4lb blocks. I suspect there will be a lot of questions being asked of the people who were also signing off on the use of these explosives.

[TripleDigitRide]

Investigators: Soldier Had C-4 For Months - Nashville News Story - WSMV Nashville

Along with the 100 pounds of C-4, investigators also caught Richards with a Swedish machine gun and an unregistered rifle.

[trblmkr13]

Accounting for ordance is always loose in the Military, but its really somewhat scary 100lbs seems to be more than personal use

[Guest Muttling]

Update, they released him today on his wife's signature. No bond required.

The news said that they are trying to figure out whether he stole the explosives or obtained them from someone else. Still no mention of detonators, fuses, etc.