Reginald Jesse Hawley Sentenced in Anchorage Explosives Case

A 39-year-old Anchorage man has been locked up for dealing in deadly materials. Reginald Jesse Hawley was sentenced to 17 months in federal prison for illegally possessing and selling explosives, a crime that could have sparked mass destruction in the heart of Alaska’s largest city.

On June 7, 2016, Hawley moved 4 one-pound bricks of high-grade explosives to another individual for $2,000 in cold cash. The transaction, caught in a federal sting, exposed a chilling willingness to arm unknown parties with destructive power. At the time, Hawley was a convicted felon, barred by law from handling explosives or firearms due to a prior conviction punishable by more than one year behind bars.

U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason handed down the sentence with no leniency, emphasizing the extreme danger posed by trafficking in explosives. “The illegal sale of these materials to unvetted individuals isn’t just a paper violation—it’s a potential detonation waiting to happen,” Judge Gleason stated during sentencing.

Hawley will serve 17 months behind bars followed by three years of supervised release, a period during which he will be monitored for any further violations. Federal authorities made it clear: possessing explosives as a felon is not a gray area—it’s a direct threat to public safety.

U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler praised the dogged work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Their joint investigation dismantled what could have become a much larger threat. “This sentence sends a message: we’re watching, and we’re not tolerating the black-market trade in weapons of destruction,” Loeffler said.

The case stands as a stark reminder of the quiet threats that simmer beneath surface-level street crime. In the hands of the wrong man, four pounds of explosives aren’t just contraband—they’re a catastrophe sold for two grand.