Garden City Man Indicted for Firearm, Pipe Bomb Possession

Caleb M. Ayers, 29, of Garden City, Mo., is facing federal charges after a grand jury indicted him on three counts tied to the illegal possession of a loaded firearm and two homemade pipe bombs. The indictment, returned in Kansas City, Mo., marks the latest turn in a case that began with a routine call about a suspicious vehicle but unraveled into a dangerous cache of explosives and a loaded handgun.

Ayers, a convicted felon, allegedly possessed a Smith and Wesson .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun and two functional pipe bombs on May 14, 2016. Federal law strictly prohibits any individual with a felony conviction from possessing firearms or explosives. Ayers’ prior convictions include felony charges for possession of methamphetamine and resisting arrest, sealing his eligibility for federal weapons charges.

The first pipe bomb is described as a 12-gram carbon dioxide cartridge packed with explosive powder, rigged with a green pyrotechnic fuse and studded with zinc-coated steel balls glued in place with yellow epoxy. The second device consisted of a 3/4-inch white PVC pipe, sealed at both ends, filled with explosive powder, and wrapped with lead shot—No. 8 and No. 9 sizes—bonded to the exterior with yellow adhesive, turning it into a lethal fragmentation weapon.

The arrest unfolded when officers responded to the parking lot of Hawthorne Bank in Drexel, Mo., following a report of a suspicious GMC utility truck. Inside, they found Ayers asleep in the driver’s seat with the engine running. A loaded pistol rested on the center console. After waking him, officers searched the vehicle and discovered the explosive devices stored in a plastic box on the rear seat—ready for deployment.

Ayers now faces one count of possessing a firearm as a felon, one count of possessing explosives as a felon, and one additional charge for possessing unregistered destructive devices. Each charge carries severe federal penalties, including mandatory minimum sentences and long-term incarceration, if convicted.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department. U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson emphasized that the indictment is an accusation only—evidence will be required to secure a conviction before a federal jury.