EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — The grimy streets of Collinsville witnessed the sentencing of Jeremy Barr, 49, who will serve nearly four years in federal prison for his chilling act of pipe bomb making.
Barr was indicted by a grand jury in East St. Louis in March 2024 and pleaded guilty to possessing a destructive device on May 1, 2025. The sentence was handed down on September 3, 2025, in District Court following his arrest on federal charges.
“Improvised explosive devices are inherently unpredictable, unstable, and indiscriminate,” U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft warned. “Jeremy Barr threatened innocent lives near a Southern Illinois school, endangering kids and our community. We thank the brave law enforcement officers who responded, and we pledge to relentlessly pursue bomb makers to protect the public.”
Analysis by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) revealed that the explosive device was packed with fragmentation capable of causing serious injury or death. “The defendant left two pipe bombs in a car parked next to a school for two days, posing a direct threat to both the school and the surrounding community,” ATF Chicago Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon said. “I want to commend the swift actions of law enforcement and prosecutors, whose efforts helped avert a potential tragedy.”
As part of his sentence, Barr is required to pay $15,000 in restitution to his former landlord for damage to the residence caused by the Illinois State Police during the search warrant execution. Court documents indicate no additional devices were found, but evidence of bomb-making was discovered in the basement.
The ATF, Wood River Police Department, Collinsville Police Department, Illinois State Police, FBI Springfield Field Office, and Illinois Secretary of State Police Hazardous Device Unit collaborated on the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke prosecuted the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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