Man Indicted for Unlawful Possession of Explosives

The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that Thomas Lee Stanton, 18, whose home address is listed as Lebanon, Illinois, was indicted by a federal grand jury today for unlawfully possessing destructive devices.

The indictment alleges that on April 17, 2013, Stanton possessed one or more destructive devices, including a “cricket” bomb, which is composed of carbon dioxide (CO2) cartridges, fuses, and explosive powder. If convicted, Stanton faces possible maximum penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge and is entitled to a fair trial at which the United States must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

United States Attorney Wigginton praised the swift and jointly conducted investigation which teamed up not only his Office and St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly, but included investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Illinois State Police; the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department; the O’Fallon Police Department; the Lebanon Police Department; the Illinois Secretary of State Police Bomb Squad; the Scott Air Force Base Explosive Ordnance Disposal K-9 Unit; and O’Fallon Township High School personnel and security officers.

“In the wake of other events around the country, I am pleased and gratified by the selfless and intense investigation which was brought to bear,” noted United States Attorney Wigginton.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Liam Coonan and Ranley R. Killian.