Matthew Joseph Kelley, Pipe Bomb Possession, South Carolina 2016

Matthew Joseph Kelley, 28, of Pickens, South Carolina, has entered a guilty plea in federal court for possession of a destructive device, a violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 5861.

Crackdown on Explosives

A federal court in Anderson heard the change of plea hearing, where Kelley admitted to possessing the device. The court will impose sentence after reviewing the presentence report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Kelley faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for his crime. He was arrested on federal firearms charges on August 23, 2016, and has been in custody since.

The discovery of the pipe bomb was made on August 19, 2016, when members of the United States Marshals Task Force and deputies from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office were attempting to serve an arrest warrant for an individual at a residence in Easley. The owner of the residence granted deputies consent to search the home, and upon searching Kelley’s belongings, they found the pipe bomb.

The United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen from the Greenville U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

Contact Person: Lance Crick, (864) 282-2100, for further information.

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