Anibal Castro, Jr., Unlawful Possession of a Destructive Device, Vermont 2022

A Springfield man is facing federal charges after police discovered a pipe bomb at his residence in April 2022.

According to court records, Anibal Castro, Jr., 33, of Springfield, Vermont, has been charged with unlawfully possessing a destructive device, specifically a "pipe bomb", in violation of the National Firearms Act.

The incident occurred on April 6, 2022, when the Springfield Police Department and Vermont State Police were executing a state search warrant at Castro’s Valley Street residence. During the search, officers discovered a 10.5-inch pipe bomb made of aluminum with crimped metal ends covered in tape and a pyrotechnic fuse extending out from inside the pipe. The words "BYE BYE !!" were written on the outside of the pipe. The pipe contained 650 BB pellets and black powder.

The presence of BBs "further weaponized" the device, according to the government. Castro appeared in U.S. District Court in Burlington on May 20, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the charge. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle has granted the government’s motion for detention, ordering Castro to be held until trial.

The charge against Castro is an accusation only, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, Castro faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Any actual sentence will be advised by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Springfield Police Department, and the Vermont State Police. The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella. Castro is represented by Sara Puls, Esq. of the Office of the Federal Public Defender.

The case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, a strategy aimed at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.

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