Gramann Richard Barnes, 44, formerly of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for deliberately rigging an apartment to explode with a homemade ignition device. The arson attempt, which endangered multiple lives, was carried out after a violent confrontation on March 15, 2016, at a duplex on Locust Street. Barnes pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger on January 26, 2017.
That day, a victim reported to police that Barnes had assaulted them and injured a child, forcing both to flee the residence. The victim called 911 from a friend’s home, but later returned to find a powerful gas odor and intense heat coming from the kitchen. Inside, the oven was glowing, the gas burners were lit, and all control knobs had been removed. A roll of burning paper towels was stuffed inside the oven — a crude but effective incendiary setup designed to ignite a fire or explosion.
The victim managed to locate the missing stove knobs, shut off the gas, and escape the building before flames erupted. They found the apartment ransacked — dishes shattered, household items destroyed, glass scattered across the floor. Several pieces of jewelry were later reported stolen. The victim called 911 a second time, prompting a full response from both the Davenport Fire and Police Departments.
Fire investigators discovered a tightly rolled paper towel acting as a wick, placed directly over the gas burner flame. They concluded the stove had been deliberately sabotaged — knobs removed to delay detection, flammable materials inserted to ensure ignition. The setup, they said, was not accidental but a calculated attempt to burn down the structure. At the time, two neighbors upstairs heard shouting, breaking glass, and smelled gas — clear signs of escalating violence.
After fleeing the scene, Barnes stole a pickup truck belonging to the victim’s father and drove to Texas. He was apprehended in Texas on April 5, 2016. Upon extradition and court appearance in Iowa, Barnes admitted he had rigged the apartment to explode. No one was killed, but prosecutors emphasized the potential for catastrophic loss of life given the occupied building and volatile setup.
Barnes will serve 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and must pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund. The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Davenport Fire Department, and the Davenport Police Department, and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa. -END-
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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