Man Pleads Guilty for Manufacturing a Bomb
A man responsible for building an explosive device made with fireworks, treble hooks, rivets and other material pleaded guilty Friday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Zane Paul Bennett, 20, pleaded guilty to unlawful manufacture of a destructive device.
“Zane Bennett acted without regard for his own safety and others when he illegally manufactured a bomb containing large fishhooks, screws and rivets that could inflict serious bodily injury,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I commend the Broken Arrow and Tulsa Police Departments, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the ATF for their continued professionalism and swift response following the discovery of the bomb.”
In his plea agreement, Bennett admitted that on January 23, 2022, he knowingly and illegally manufactured the explosive device, which was not registered with the National Firearms and Transfer Record, and that he intended to set it off. He stated that he manufactured the device while staying in a hotel in Broken Arrow. It was built with large round tubes, numerous fireworks (flash powder), other fireworks and a fuse. Inside the device, Bennett placed large treble hooks, screws and rivets.
Bennett was taken into custody on Jan. 24, 2022, after his girlfriend was stopped by Broken Arrow police officers following a shoplifting incident and officers noticed the device in the back seat of the vehicle. During the stop, the girlfriend called Bennett who then arrived on foot and asked if he could take possession of the vehicle if she was going to be detained. When asked about the device, Bennett told officers he recently manufactured it and intended to use it to destroy watermelons.
The Tulsa Police Department Bomb Squad x-rayed the explosive device, which showed several large fishhooks, screws, and rivets in the device. Also inside the device were a large quantity of small fireworks packed together. The device was dismantled and the components retained. After obtaining a search warrant of Bennett’s hotel room, officers and agents with the Broken Arrow Police Department and ATF located and seized fireworks and a metal rivet consistent with what was found in the destructive device.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Broken Arrow Police Department, Tulsa Police Department, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert T. Raley and Christopher J. Nassar are prosecuting the case.
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