Trey Alexander Gwathney-Law, 20, of Franklin, Kentucky, is headed to federal prison for 20 years without parole after admitting he built five explosive devices intended to destroy Franklin-Simpson County Middle School. The sentence, handed down yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Greg N. Stivers, marks the end of a years-long investigation into a plot that could have ended in mass casualties.
Gwathney-Law pleaded guilty on June 16, 2017, to two counts of making and possessing illegal firearms—specifically Molotov cocktails—crafted from glass soda bottles filled with flammable gas and oil mixtures. Four of the devices used Mountain Dew, Sprite, and Dr. Pepper bottles with cloth wicks; the fifth, more sophisticated bomb, used a Root Beer bottle rigged with a CO2 cartridge packed with explosive powder and flammable-soaked paper, sealed with epoxy and fitted with a green pyrotechnic fuse.
According to court records and the Franklin Police Department, Gwathney-Law confessed to an acquaintance that he built the devices to blow up the middle school. The tip led to a swift raid on September 27, 2015, the same day the devices were constructed. Acting on the call, Franklin PD and ATF agents seized the explosives before they could be deployed, averting what prosecutors called a potential disaster.
“In this case, a phone call to law enforcement, and quick response by the Franklin Police Department and the ATF, may have saved Simpson County from untold harm,” said U.S. Attorney Russell M. Coleman. He hailed the 20-year sentence as a necessary deterrent, emphasizing that vigilance and aggressive prosecution are key to stopping homegrown threats before they ignite.
At sentencing, prosecutors moved to dismiss two additional counts from the superseding indictment, agreeing with defense and ATF investigators that a 20-year prison term followed by three years of supervised release was the appropriate penalty. Gwathney-Law has been in federal custody since his June 2017 plea and will serve his full sentence under federal lockup with no chance of early release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jo Lawless and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Kentucky State Police, and the Franklin, Kentucky Police Department. Authorities continue to urge the public to report suspicious behavior—especially when schools are threatened.
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Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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