RONALD J. SCHEU, a 48-year-old man from Kunkletown, Pennsylvania, stood before a federal magistrate last week and admitted to running an underground explosives trade from his home and storage locker—peddling professional-grade pyrotechnics without a license, directly endangering public safety.
Scheu pleaded guilty on November 16, 2016, in Scranton before Magistrate Judge Karoline Mehalchick to one count of distributing explosives. According to U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, he distributed 119 M-class devices, 26 class 1.3 mortars, and one aerial shell on or about April 28, 2016—materials capable of causing mass destruction in the wrong hands.
Court records reveal Scheu admitted to storing hundreds of pounds of explosives in a rented locker and manufacturing volatile flash powder at his residence. The operation was not the work of a hobbyist—it was a calculated, unlicensed enterprise built on trafficking dangerous materials with zero oversight.
As part of his pre-sentencing conditions, Judge Mehalchick ordered Scheu to surrender all firearms in his possession immediately. The plea, while entered, remains subject to final approval by U.S. District Court Judge Richard P. Conaboy, who will ultimately determine the sentence.
The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Carbon County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is handling the prosecution, underscoring the federal seriousness of the crime.
Scheu now faces up to 10 years in federal prison, a term of supervised release, and a statutory fine. While sentencing guidelines weigh the nature of the offense and defendant’s history, one fact remains: Scheu flooded the region with unregulated explosives—and that doesn’t blow over quietly.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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