A Ketchikan man was sentenced to five years of probation and 30 days in a halfway house for receipt and possession of explosive materials by a felon.
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that Joseph Duane Brown, 40, of Ketchikan, Alaska, was sentenced today in federal court in Ketchikan for receipt and possession of explosive materials by a felon.
The charges arose from an investigation conducted by the Ketchikan Police Department (KPD) related to the detonation of a series of explosive devices inside the Ketchikan Tunnel on July 4, 2013.
The explosions temporarily knocked out the central communications records management system for the KPD dispatch center, as well as scared the driver of a vehicle who drove through the tunnel, as their vehicle was ‘rattled’ during the explosion.
The driver stated that the explosion was not a mere firework, but something ‘super dangerous.’
The investigation was later transferred to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATFE).
They determined that the explosive devices were perchlorate explosive mixture (seal bombs) and cap sensitive ammonium nitrate mixture (binary explosive mixture) that is typically used in exploding targets.
The investigation revealed that Joseph Duane Brown, a convicted felon, had assembled at least 20 one-pound explosive devices and daisy chained them together with a common fuse.
Brown used the perchlorate explosive mixture (seal bombs) as a detonator to set off the one-pound charges of cap sensitive ammonium nitrate mixture (binary explosive mixture).
Brown admitted that he purchased and assembled the ingredients to make the explosive devices and he was the one responsible for setting off the devices inside the Ketchikan Tunnel.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Timothy M. Burgess emphasized the seriousness of the offense and the need to deter the defendant and others, as reasons for imposing the five-year term of probation.
Ms. Loeffler commends the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATFE) and the Ketchikan Police Department for the investigation leading to the conviction in this case.
Related Federal Cases
- Kyle Reynolds, Felon in Possession of Firearm, Alaska 2023 · Alaska
- Anderson, Kidnapping and Felon in Possession of Firearm, Wasilla AK… · Alaska
- Robert J. Thomas, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, West Virginia 2023 · Alaska
- Christopher Helmick, Child Sexual Abuse Material Receipt, Distribution, and Possession, Ohio 2025 · Florida
- Robert Thomas, Convicted Felon in Possession of Firearm, West Virginia 2023 · Alaska
Key Facts
- State: Alaska
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Violent CrimeViolent CrimeViolent CrimeViolent Crime